As White as Blood
by AkatsukiMemberWoolfy
Summary: Sasori of the Red Sand didn't turn into the mass murdering member of the infamous criminal organisation known as the Akatsuki overnight. It took a lot of time and a lot of living. The entire life of Sasori of the Red Sand. Eventual SasoDei.
1. As White as Blood

This first chapter was started on April 1st, 2011

The last chapter was finished on December 21st, 2011

I would also like to include the following: I did not have to write this story, I gain no profit from it, and I only wrote it because I wanted to. If there is anything that you are not happy with, then constructive criticism is acceptable, but please do not flame just because something happens that you do not like such as the fact that there is SasoDei (there will be a lot of eventual SasoDei). So if you don't like the story, then don't read. Thank you.

Warning: The following story contains strong gore, strong course language, and several SasoDei smut scenes.

The characters aren't mine; I just waste my life writing about them.

This is dedicated to Keono, Selyann, Sasori (of course) and all of my other watchers on Deviant Art and FanFiction.N

-w-

As White as Blood

'_He did not wear his scarlet coat,_

_For blood and wine are red,  
>And blood and wine were on his hands<br>When they found him with the dead._

_The poor dead woman whom he loved,  
>And murdered in her bed.<em>

…

_I only knew what hunted thought  
>Quickened his step, and why<br>He looked upon the garish day  
>With such a wistful eye;<br>The man had killed the thing he loved,  
>And so he had to die.<em>

_Yet each man kills the thing he loves,  
>By each let this be heard,<br>Some do it with a bitter look,  
>Some with a flattering word,<br>The coward does it with a kiss,  
>The brave man with a sword!<em>

_Some kill their love when they are young,  
>And some when they are old;<br>Some strangle with the hands of Lust,  
>Some with the hands of Gold:<br>The kindest use a knife, because  
>The dead so soon grow cold.<em>

_Some love too little, some too long,  
>Some sell, and others buy;<br>Some do the deed with many tears,  
>And some without a sigh:<br>For each man kills the thing he loves,  
>Yet each man does not die.<em>

_He does not die a death of shame  
>On a day of dark disgrace,<br>Nor have a noose about his neck,  
>Nor a cloth upon his face,<br>Nor drop feet foremost through the floor  
>Into an empty space.'<em>

-Exert from 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' by Oscar Wilde

-o-

Chapter One

As White as Blood

My name is Sasori of the Red Sand, and I grew up to be a mass murdering member of the organization known infamously as the Akatsuki. I joined when I was sixteen years old (twenty if you wish to get technical about the details), and I was a part of the group until I died for the second time at the age of thirty-five, unless I still counted as a member the third time I died.

Now, before you get confused, I've in a way, died three times in my life. The first time I lost my mortal body, the second time I lost my mind, and the last time I lost my soul.

But I shall not reveal too much more at this present time, as I do not wish to give too much away just yet, so that is all I shall tell of the future. Let's just say, I was a bad person; at least that is what utter_ idiots_ would consider me to be.

My story began the way everyone in this world's tale generally begins. My parents met when they were fifteen, and were married at the age of nineteen, when my Granny was thirty-eight years old; I was born the same year as their wedding. They were Shinobi, you see, and they were often away fighting or on missions. Generally, I lived a normal life for a Sunagakure child. I cried when I was born like most babies, I had no birth defects and I had been graced with a pair of loving parents.

I started my life out ordinary, until I was about five years old, which will be the starting point of this story. In my time I had dear friends and I had ruthless enemies; some too loyal, some too insane, and some just plain stupid.

So then, how did I turn from being what the dim-witted would consider 'Good' into what it is they considered 'Bad'? You will now find out first hand of the trials and the psychological metamorphosis that I experienced from my birth to my death.

…I wronged so many people in the course of my life…So many people.

Oh well, let's start at the beginning, before my soul was as white as blood.

-x-

Five Years Old

Sasori's parents had been away at the war against Konohagakure for a few long months already, and he missed them so much. Sure he still had his Granny, but even the old woman was no substitute for his real parents. He looked at the picture of his small family; in the photo, the red head was being held by his mother with his father smiling pleasantly. The five year old raised his eyebrows, wondering when his parents would be coming home, hoping that it was soon.

He had watched them leave with his Granny Chiyo, and he had waved goodbye to them as any child would have done. Now he sat all alone in his bedroom, gazing at the photos which were set up next to his bed. Sasori gave a sad grimace at the memories, and soon turned to the window, watching the glowing sun in the distance. When would his parents come home? The door opened, and he snapped around, hoping with all of his might that it was his mummy and daddy.

Sasori's Granny stood in the door way, giving him a gentle smile, "There you are, Sweetie…Would you like to go for a walk with me?" The red headed child blinked at the woman with his large innocent eyes, giving a sad smile at her after a few seconds.

"Can we, Granny?" She nodded and Sasori stood up off of his too large bed, following after his guardian with faint eagerness.

-x-

All was well while they walked, or at least, for a time. The sun shone high in the never-ending sky, the rays dancing across the burnt land and its inhabitants, kissing their faces. Sasori was used to the hot temperature of the home that he had never strayed away from, and it didn't bother him in the slightest as he knew no different. He abruptly stopped when a young boy fell over a few metres in front of them, with the child's faithful parents immediately going to their crying son's aid, kneeling down to his height and helping him stand up. Once he was on his feet, the boy's mother dusted his clothes and both parents held him tightly to reassure the child that they were there for him and that they always would be.

Sasori felt a sharp, unidentifiable sensation at the pit of his stomach at the sight of the unbroken family, and he gazed at them with sad, yearning eyes. The child stopped crying and stood up, each parent walking onwards while holding one of their son's hands. Why weren't Sasori's parents around? Would they come to help him if he had cried? Sasori watched the family walk away into their happy lives, leaving the red head once more all alone. "Sasori?"

The five-year old remembered that he actually wasn't all by himself, and that Chiyo was still with him most of the time. It wasn't the same as having his mummy and daddy, but she was still something, and something would have to be enough. He turned his head up to look at her, and the woman's eye's widened slightly.

Sasori was managing a soft smile despite the odd feeling of lament which was pressing and constricting his stomach, figuratively speaking of course. "Granny Chiyo, can we grab a treat on the way back?"

The woman gave a smile back to her grandson. "Y-Yes, all right." Sasori nodded and started walking in front of his granny, intent on getting rid of this odd feeling which plagued him inside.

-x-

The sun was almost gone, and Sasori once again sat alone within his room, looking at the picture which he held. His attention was brought away from the frame when he heard the door creak open. The five year old hid the picture behind his back and looked to see who it was. "Huh?" No one was there. He looked down to the ground when he noticed some movement, giving another confused noise. A small, plain puppet watched him from around the door frame, slowly moving into his room. It kneeled down onto its jointed legs and managed to bow at the red head politely. Sasori gave a smile and a laugh of amusement as Granny Chiyo walked into the room behind the small puppet. The red head blinked at her for a few seconds before smiling once more. "Granny Chiyo?"

"Do you like it, Sasori?" She smiled in a way which made you feel almost loved. "This is a Puppet Master Jutsu that is as old as our family is. What do you think? Do you want to learn how to perform it?"

Sasori blinked at her again, "Really?" His smile reformed, "You can teach me how to do that?"

"Well now," Chiyo cooed softly, "come with me and you will see." Sasori placed the frame down on the bed and stood up, intent on learning the cool-looking technique. They walked through the ordinary house to a doorway which he had never explored before, Chiyo opening the door for him. Light entered the dark room and Sasori peered over his Granny's arm to see inside. She let the red head pass her and Sasori entered, looking around the dark room with a look of absolute awe. "This warehouse is where every puppet ends up at some point, every single prototype and unfinished puppet ever made in Sunagakure had been in here." They walked deeper inside, and Sasori gazed at the lifeless bodies of the marionettes with profound interest. Some were humanoid, others looked like animals, but all were fascinating and unfinished. "Sasori…Everything in here is yours to use as you please. I want you to build your own puppet."

"My…My own puppet?" Chiyo nodded and smiled, the red head looking towards the rack of dolls curiously, "But how do I make my own puppet?" The woman led Sasori over to the work bench, sitting on one of the two chairs and patting on the top of the other.

The red head sat down on the other stool, waiting eagerly for the chance to learn. "Listen to me, child, and let me show you. Maybe one day you'll be an even better Puppet Master than my self, boy." She laughed and something sparkled in Sasori's innocent eyes at the prospect of building himself some loyal companions.

-x-

"And that is how you make a puppet." Sasori stared in amazement at the small dove which his Granny had put together before his eyes. "Now watch…" Visible 'strings' of chakra emerged from the woman's fingertips, attaching themselves to the wooden construct of the bird with smooth grace.

Its wings creaked on the brand new joints, but eventually they got used to the motion. It started to flap harder and faster, beginning to hover off of the table's surface with the more effort placed into it. Sasori watched in awe as it flew higher and Chiyo began to make it wheel around the air.

The five year old laughed with absolute joy as the puppet continued to move as if it were a living creature, as if it was not actually being controlled by his grandmother. Eventually it settled back down onto the workbench, and the small red head blinked at it, curious as to what it would do next, "Now you try."

Sasori frowned in concentration as he watched the bird, not knowing how he was going to manage to control it as well as his grandmother. He slowly brought his hands up with fingers pointing towards the dove, and after a few seconds…Absolutely nothing happened. Sasori's brow creased deeper as he concentrated even harder, starting to give him self a headache. He stopped holding his breath and looked to his granny, giving a sad expression of hopelessness, "Granny, it's not working…"

"That's alright," she smiled at him, "I'm here to help you. First, since you are just a beginner, you must-" Sasori gave an unexpected yawn. "…Oh my! I just realised that it is far past your bed time!"

The tired red head blinked at the woman and quickly shook his head, "No, I want to learn how to control a puppet, Granny! Please!" Chiyo gave a sigh and ruffled Sasori's hair affectionately.

"Oh Sweetie, you have a lot to learn; go to bed now, for tomorrow will be particularly harsh on you." She stood off the chair and picked up the bird, holding it out to the red head. He took the dove and solemnly stood as well, "Tomorrow, I promise that you will be able to make this bird fly, but let it sleep for now."

Sasori nodded dejectedly, "Thank you, Granny Chiyo." The woman led him back through the mysterious room, and then walked with him through the familiar house, "Good night." He entered his dark room and placed the bird down on the table which his photos also sat upon.

Chiyo smiled tenderly at her grandson as he climbed into the bed, "Good night, Sweetie." She closed the door, leaving Sasori with nothing but the moon to illuminate his medium sized bedroom.

The five year old immediately sat up in his bed, looking over at the bird which sat without moving where he had first placed it. He lifted his hands up again and tried to once more move the dove, but no matter how much he concentrated, the joints refused to obey his whim. Before long the red head passed out, considering that he was still only young and it was past midnight. In his dreams he was flying, he flapped his arms and the giant puppet-dove which he rode mimicked his motion, flying high into the sky. The young red head laughed and cried due to the utter bliss in the dream, his mind not thinking once of his real life woes as he was amused by the fantasy his idle mind had created while Sasori slept. He wanted to one day fly.

-x-

"Okay then, Sasori," Chiyo and Sasori sat in the middle of the Creation Room, the dove-puppet sitting between them, "let me show you how to make it move." Chakra strings once again formed from her fingertips, connecting to the bird and bringing it to life in an instant. It flexed one of its legs, placing it back onto the ground and then flexing the other, doing so both methodically and realistically. "The Puppet Master Technique is a ninjutsu where your chakra is transformed into strings. By attaching these 'strings' to the puppet, you are able to control the motions it makes. Control over puppets can range between all ten fingers on one puppet, or ten fingers to ten puppets."

"Is there any way to control more than ten at a time, Granny Chiyo?" The woman gave a thoughtful look, but then shook her head in dismay. "Oh…"

"But what does an old hag like me know," she gave a reassuring laugh, "maybe you will be able to figure out how to when you're older." Sasori smiled and nodded, waiting for the continuation of the lesson, "So, before you even think about the puppet, you must concentrate on your own chakra." The red head blinked in surprise, having not even thought of that before. So that was why he had been unable to move the dove… "Now, there are two ways to learn this Jutsu as not everyone is capable of becoming a Puppet Master. The first is to be taught at a young age, as I am doing with you. Around this point in your life, your chakra is not developed enough to already possess traits and characteristics."

"…Traits?" He frowned at the woman, "How can chakra have traits?"

"Many underestimate chakra, but it actually becomes similar to the nature of its owner," Sasori gave the woman a confused look. "Let me give an example…Walking. One's gait, that is the way they walk, can tell a lot about a person; characteristics are gained that affect the way one walks, and most of these are done subconsciously. Everyone is taught to walk at a young age, but over time they gain their own individual way. Chakra is the same; almost everybody starts off with the same chakra, with a few rare exceptions…" She was quiet in thought for a few seconds.

"…But you're going to help my chakra become different from everyone else's?" He blinked at the woman, barely understanding the complex riddle she had spoken, and Chiyo gave a nod, "What was the other way to learn how to control puppets, Granny?"

"Well, there is a secret scroll written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the original puppet master, which is said to grant anyone whom reads it the ability to gain the Puppet Master Technique. But it's just an old legend." She shrugged. "Now, to control this bird, firstly you must guide your chakra from your heart to your hands," Sasori nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on his chest.

The red head could practically feel the swirling in his heart, and he concentrated on trying to move the energy, and succeeded but with sluggish results. Slowly he forced it out to his shoulders, through his arms, to his hands, and then he managed to squeeze it into his fingertips. Without further instructions he aimed the energy at the bird. Chakra strings attached perfectly for a few seconds, but the bird abruptly snapped in two. Sasori stared at it for a small while, until tears started to well up in the five year old's eyes, and without warning, the red head began to cry in both frustration and lament, sobbing loudly.

Chiyo tried to comfort her grandson, petting him on his back, "There there, Sweetie, you'll get the hang of it soon enough." The tears stopped falling, but he was still sad, his eyes now puffy and swollen as he miserably sniffled. Chiyo smiled at her grandson tenderly, just glad to see that he had stopped crying, "The Puppet Master Jutsu is a balancing act. Too much chakra and your creations will snap to bits, not enough and they won't even move." Sasori sniffled again as his granny stood up, "Well, I'll fix this, but in the mean time you need to get to the academy." He nodded solemnly and stood, his eyes lingering for several moments on the broken puppet, before having to look away, lest he cry again.

-x-

The red head was currently situated on a small swing which was attached to a withered old tree that bore no leaves. He swung slowly back and forth, all alone, with a sad expression on his countenance. Other kids were running around, kicking a ball and laughing, but the red head would not join in their fun. He was waiting for- "SASORI!" The child's head snapped up to search for the owner of the voice, a small smile forming on his lips as his one and only friend came running over to him.

The girl's short, boyish hair whipped in the wind as she ran, the blonde locks fluttering quicker than the swing had been moving. She was the same age as the red head, but even now he was far more mature. What the girl lacked in intelligence she made up for with ability, endurance, persistence, and an almost annoying loyalty. She wore a robe which was the same as Sasori's, except in a light violet colour, and she also wore a yellow scarf wrapped around her neck. Just as the girl neared, she tripped on the hem of her robe and slammed face first into the sand at Sasori's feet with a loud thud.

Sasori gave her a dull look before he laughed lightly, hopping off of the swing in order to help his best friend whom he had known for as long as he could remember, "You're silly, Karura."

-x-

Sasori sat in class, quiet and calculating. Earlier he had asserted too much chakra, so maybe he should try half the amount he had used earlier next time he tried the technique…Katashi Sensei continued to talk about the Second Shinobi World War which Sasori's parents were currently fighting in. As soon as the man turned his back, the red head's friend turned to him, "Have you heard any word from your parents yet, Sasori?"

He gave her a stoic look and shook his head in almost dismay. The girl gave him a sad expression and a nod of understanding, "But I'm sure they'll be home soon, Karura." Sasori managed a small smile, which the girl responded to by giving her own wide grin.

"SASORI AND KARURA!" Both five years olds looked back at Katashi, "STAY BEHIND AFTER SCHOOL YOU DELINQUENTS!" Sasori and Karura gulped in fear, already knowing the punishment which awaited them.

-x-

They were both walking home, faces cringing in pain. For their disobeying of rule number three, 'Do not speak unless the teacher is talking to you', they had had their palms whipped with a long cane three times each. It stung, but probably wouldn't scar considering the fact that the canes hadn't broken their skin. "Sorry, Sasori," Karura gave him an apologetic frown, "I didn't mean to get you into trouble…"

"It's alright," Sasori smiled in reassurance, trying to take his mind from the ache, "how about your parents? Have you heard any news from them?"

Karura brightened up instantly, grinning widely at Sasori, "My mother is back, and she is pregnant!" She laughed with joy, and Sasori gave her a small, almost sad smile. "Oh," she gave a hurt expression, "I'm sorry…It wasn't right of me to get so excited when your parents haven't come back yet…"

"It's alright…They'll probably be home soon." They reached the red head's house and momentarily stopped to say goodbye, "Well, see you, Karura." The friends bowed to each other politely before going their separate ways, Sasori entering his domain.

"Sweetie," Chiyo frowned suspiciously at her grandson, "why are you so late home?" Sasori simply showed the woman his hands, each palm baring three angry marks. "…You spoke in class?"

"Karura asked me if Mummy and Daddy were back…" He gave a slight frown, "It wasn't my fault and it wasn't hers…" The woman gave a harsh sigh.

"Sasori, a Puppet Master's hands are the most important part of their anatomy! Do not risk anything which could harm them!" Sasori gave a slow nod, and Chiyo sighed, "Come on then, you have a Puppet Master Jutsu to learn."

-x-

Sasori had his eyes closed as he concentrated on moving the chakra from his heart to his hands, letting half of what he had gathered swim into his fingers. Carefully he let the strings leave his tips, attaching themselves to the bird. Sasori twitched all of his fingers, surprised when he heard a click. The dove-puppet had shuddered…The red head repeated the action, resulting in another jerk of joints, and his eyes lit up, "Granny, I did it!"

The woman smiled at her grandson, "Good job, Sweetie. Now, make it fly." Sasori nodded, and he automatically knew how to move his fingers; it was in his blood after all. The red head moved his two index fingers up and down, and the bird copied the action with its wings, gradually flapping harder, and much to Sasori's amusement, it soon started to hover. He gave an open mouth smile and made the bird fly in circles just as Chiyo had demonstrated, and much to his amusement, it did as the five year old commanded.


	2. Team Three

As White as Blood

Chapter Two

Team Three

Sasori was trying to get to sleep; it was late and he was home alone, but he was just so happy that he had finally been able to fly. The red head rolled over, intent on falling unconscious, but was disturbed when he heard a door creak nearby, "Huh?" He opened his eyes and sat up in bed, looking towards the door. Sasori stood and traipsed curiously over to the doorway; he was intent on discovering who had made the noise and he was half hopeful that it was his parents. He opened the light door, smiling widely when he saw his beloved grandmother standing there. "Granny Chiyo!" Sasori took a step out of his room, ever hopeful, "Are they here? Have mummy and daddy returned yet?" He waited eagerly for good news, but after a few moments he wasn't graced with any. Chiyo simply gave him a solemn expression, causing Sasori's smile to fall, "…They're not home yet?"

"Well…No dear, they're not…" Her voice was shaking, but Sasori didn't notice it, focusing on what she was saying and his diminishing hope. "You see…Your parents were sent on another very important mission and it seems that they won't be home for quite some time; I'm sorry…" Sasori gave a sad sigh as his hope was crushed, "But I just heard word from them saying for you to stay with me until they return home." She put her hand on the red head's head, ruffling his hair slightly while leaning downwards and gently smiling at him, "Well Sasori? Is that okay with you?"

Sasori looked downwards, giving a sad expression of utter hopelessness. "…I guess…" Chiyo hadn't been living with him permanently, she had just been there to make him breakfast, lunch and dinner, but she had been there more and more often anyway while Sasori was being taught how to control puppets, "Thank you, Granny."

She ruffled the red head's hair playfully, continuing her reassuring smile. "It's alright, Sweetie; now back to bed - a growing boy needs sleep." Sasori nodded and Chiyo straightened up, letting go of the red head's hair. "Good night." The five year old turned and traipsed sadly back into his room, climbing into the empty bed without a smile. "…Don't forget that no matter what…Your parents and I will always love you." With that said she closed the door, leaving Sasori to sleep and dream in peace.

-x-

"So…Your parents are on another mission?" Sasori gave a sad nod in response, "…Oh…Well I'm sure they will be home soon. Don't give up hope." Karura patted the red head reassuringly on the back, "Come on, we need to train." Sasori nodded and they began to run towards their secret training ground; it was a rocky outcrop which was located a two and a half hour's run (for the two five year olds) away from the village. There was a small cave carved into the wall there which was ideal in the case of sudden sandstorms and only the two knew of the location.

They ran with chakra gathering in the soles of their feet which increased their speed and made it easier to run upon the loose grains of sand. It had been one of the first techniques that they had learnt at the Academy and although they had not perfected the art just yet, they were the best of their class at using the technique due to how often they practised it.

Karura was a bit faster than Sasori, but he still managed to keep up with the other five year old. The heavy garments which were generally worn by the denizens of their village had been replaced with clothes more suitable for training. Sasori wore a pair of black shorts, black Shinobi sandals and a short sleeved white shirt which bore a circle on it. Half of the ring was yellow, the other half was a bright maroon colouration, and it was contained within a blood red outline. Karura wore a lavender grey sleeveless top, black shorts, her usual yellow scalf, and black Shinobi shoes. They continued their run through the scorching desert, the wind blowing at their backsides and rustling their baby hair roughly.

-x-

Both five year olds were currently carving crude pictures into the cliff face using their kunai knives. Sasori listened contently to the soft scraping sound and the noises of the desert which stretched out behind them, smiling gently, "What are you doing?"

Karura was also carving on the cliff face right next to him and though she didn't stop, the girl gave a smile. "It's my soon-to-be-brother." The picture was of a poorly drawn baby curled up in a tight ball, complete with dark grooved outlines. Stars floated about the infant, as if drawn towards the innocence; it was a pretty good picture for a five year old. "He will be born soon…Mummy is having trouble walking…"

Sasori smiled at her hopefully and reassuringly, "Don't worry, she will be better soon." The red head took a step back, moving away from his carving so that he could survey his crude picture; it depicted a bird flying high in the rock-spread sky, "…I wish I had a little brother, and now you have two…" Sasori was of course referring to Karura's twin brother, Yashamaru; she had been born first, so she was always dubbed as the eldest, though the younger blond was the smarter of the two. Yashamaru was in the same year as they were but he didn't like Sasori, so the blond always kept his distance, even when the red head was hanging out with his sister.

Karura stepped back from her picture, glancing over it and comparing the markings with Sasori's. "I just hope Mummy will still love me and Yashamaru, and not this new baby more…" The red head gave a shrug and the children jumped three metres away from the cliff face. "The usual?"

Sasori smiled and nodded, each five year old drawing four more kunai from their leg pouches. First throw; Sasori managed to hit the bird's wing and Karura got the baby's left foot. Both continued to throw the weapons at their creations, aiming to hit the targets. Four of Sasori's had managed to hit his bird, while one lay not too far off. Only two of Karura's had hit her future brother, though one had managed to bury itself into one of the surrounding stars, counting as a target. "Four to three, I win again." He smiled lightly at the blonde girl, and she jokingly stuck her tongue out at him; Sasori had always had much better aim than the female, "…Wait…"

Karura blinked at the red head, catching onto what he was feeling. Both children looked behind them and into the distance; over the horizon, an ominous dark cloud was clearly beginning to loom, headed straight for them. "Come on!" The blonde and the red head quickly dashed into the cave in order to avoid the approaching sandstorm. It would be impossible for the two of them to out run the disaster, even if they ran all the way back to the village.

The two five year olds were not nearly fast enough to escape it, so the only other option was to wait it out, which would take roughly three to four hours. They moved to the very back of the cave which was lit only faintly by the distant scorching sun. Neither child had yet learnt any Jutsu as all they had been doing was learning to talk, write, and control their chakra. Karura gave a sigh, leaning against the cold earthen wall of rock as they both sat down.

It wasn't the first time that they had been caught in a sandstorm while training, so neither of them were worried in the slightest, "Hey, Sasori…" The red head gave an acknowledging sound and turned his attention to the girl, "Who are we fighting in the war?"

Sasori blinked at the blonde, his eyes steadily adjusting to the dim lighting of their cave. "Why do you want me to talk about it?" She simply shrugged in response and the red head was smart enough to know that Karura was already fully aware of who was in the bout between the nations, as her father was fighting in the war, but Sasori could tell that she just wanted him to talk in order to fill the silence. "Firstly Sunagakure is in the war, like your daddy, and my parents…Granny Chiyo is also working for the war; I think she is making poisons to use for the fighting but I'm not sure…" He shrugged and continued, "Second is Konohagakure in the Land of Fire, led by the Third Hokage." He was practically regurgitating everything that he had been told in class a million times over to a girl who had heard the same speech practically the same amount of times.

She giggled teasingly and gave a casual smirk at the red head, "Come on Sasori; you're as boring as when Katashi Sensei says it! Can you draw the symbols for me? I keep getting them mixed up."

Sasori shrugged and picked up one of the kunai knives from the floor where both children had carelessly discarded them after entering the cave. From the outside world they could hear the sound of the wind and the sand storming viciously, trying to get at them in their safe haven without success. "First is us," Sasori carved a sloppy gourd onto the wall, "see? We're led by the Third Kazekage. You know; that weird guy with really spiky hair?" Karura laughed - as did the red head - at the description of the man that they seldom saw. "Next is Konoha," he carved an even sloppier leaf symbol into the rock, slicing a line through the stupid sign; "they're the enemy. And then there is Amegakure," Sasori dug four precise, vertical, lines into the wall quite easily, "led by some Salamander guy." He shrugged, and Karura laughed again as Sasori broke the four lines apart with a fifth horizontal stroke. "And lastly," the five year old carved two rocks into the wall, "is Iwagakure. But we're always fighting with them, so there is no real difference to them being in the war…" He gashed the symbol in half with yet another deadly kunai stroke, as if it were the cause of all of his issues. "Most of the fighting is in Amegakure and other small nations like that."

"Well…" Karura gave a gentle frown, "Who started it? Who took my daddy and your parents from us?"

"…It's Konoha's fault; they started this stupid war." Sasori gave a sad expression, and decided to quickly sum up the lesson. He pointed to the sloppy Sunagakure symbol, "Good…" Sasori then pointed at the other three symbols of Konoha, Amegakure and Iwagakure, "Bad."

-x-

Sasori sat on his bed, once again all alone. He looked out of the circular window just as the family of three he had seen a few days ago passed by. The parents still clutched their child's hand with a closeness that the red head practically craved. He watched quietly, wondering when his own parents would come home. Chiyo had moved a lot of her things into his house by now, and Sasori wasn't sure as to why she seemed to be preparing for such a long stay. His parents wouldn't be too long…

Unless they were dead…

No. That was simply impossible…

-x-

Sasori was in the Creation Room, surrounded by unfinished puppets. A small rat darted across the floor, but the red head was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice it. He carefully picked up the arm of his future puppet, hammering on the joint with a small wooden mallet. Sasori had not made puppets before, and he had simply watched Chiyo put together one of a bird. He was creating puppets of people, which had a completely different anatomical structure from a dove, but Sasori was naturally skilled in the art of puppet making. It was just like putting together a puzzle. This part went there, that part went anywhere, and each piece fitted somewhere.

-x-

The five year old had managed to carry the heavy puppets one-at-a-time to his bedroom. It was late at night by now, and Chiyo had had to go to the hospital; Karura's mother was giving birth, but there had been some complications and she had needed to have a caesarean. Considering the fact that Chiyo was one of the best medical-nin of the village, it was no surprise that she had been requested. Sasori carefully dragged the first puppet into his bed, pushing it to the far left, and then he moved to his other new puppet as well. He hauled the even heavier marionette onto his mattress, leaving it on the far right. The five year old climbed under the covers, lying in-between his two creations as he carefully closed the eyes of his puppets, giving a small smile. Sasori brought his right arm up from beneath the covers to gently stroke the false hair he had given the female doll.

He fell asleep almost instantly between the imperfect puppet replicas he had created of his beloved mother and father. Finally his parents were home.

-x-

Sasori stood smiling, the happiest he had ever been in a while. He was currently playing with his puppets, making them walk around the room. The red head used his left hand to control his mummy, while his right led his father about. It was definitely more difficult to control two large puppets than it had been to play with the small bird, but Sasori was managing. He carefully turned the puppets to face him and slowly both stumbled towards their human son, bringing him into an artificial hug.

A pleasant emotion coursed through the red head's body at the prospect of being needed, and at the prospect of being loved. It swum about in his veins, and ultimately ruined his train of thought. The chakra strings he had created suddenly gave way, snapping at the seams. Sasori gasped loudly and his eyes shot open as the two beloved puppets, the ones that he had created so lovingly, ineptly fell to the floor with a loud clamour which sounded as extreme as an explosion to the five year old's young ears.

He was left standing alone as his false parents lay on the floor with their jaws and who-knows-what-else broken due to the impact. Sasori stoically stared at his ruined toys. The red head could not gain the parental love he craved simply by constructing a couple of look-alikes. The door suddenly opened, and the red head turned his head slowly to see who it was, "Sasori?"

His grandmother stood in the doorway, giving him an almost petrified expression which was met by the young boy's own aloof look, "My parents aren't coming back…Are they Granny Chiyo?" The red head already knew the answer to the question – it was all over her face - so he didn't even bother waiting for her reply. Sasori looked back at his two life-sized dolls, giving them a cold uncaring stare, "Do you like my puppets, Granny? I made them myself."

"…" The woman walked into the room and put her hands out. Chakra strings attached themselves to the marionettes, and she made Sasori's fake parents stand up once again, "You made these all by yourself?"

"Yes." The red head looked at the two puppets as Chiyo controlled them, but he soon looked away in utter disgust. There was already a new, odd, bitter taste forming in his mouth. "Granny Chiyo, can you teach me how to seal and summon puppets using scrolls?"

The woman looked over at her grandson, giving a recognisably cautious nod, "Okay then, Sasori…" She transferred the red head's father puppet to her other hand so that she controlled both marionettes with her left. A scroll fell from Chiyo's right sleeve into her hand and the two puppets settled onto the ground as the woman released her chakra strings, opening the empty scroll. She gestured for Sasori to sit down next to her, and the five year old did so, both puppeteers settling down on the floor.

Chiyo placed her thumb in the corner of the scroll and there was a sudden small puff of smoke as a bottle of ink appeared with a quill sticking out of it. Chiyo took the feather and began to paint markings across the white paper; she did so with such grace that proved the fact that she had drawn the same exact lines a countless number of times. Sasori watched the memorised movements with keen eyes, absorbing and learning the ink outlines as they were drawn.

After she had finished, Chiyo put her palm over an ink marking circle in the centre of the scroll, forcing chakra into the symbols, "Sealing Jutsu: Singular Seal." There was an explosion of grey smoke, and when it cleared the puppet of Sasori's father was no longer in their presence. "Now you try," Chiyo pulled out another blank scroll from her sleeve, handing it to the red head.

Sasori unrolled it on the floor, flattening it out with one hand as he took the quill from the ink bottle and began to mimic the actions of his granny's handwork. The five year old drew the markings neatly with natural skill for his first time, which was not surprising considering that it was in his blood. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. After finishing with his work, the five year old placed his palm on the centre circle just as Chiyo had done. Sasori sent chakra through his heart, to his shoulder, down his arm and finally out of the red head's right hand, "Sealing Jutsu: Singular Seal." The ink glowed for a few seconds and then there was another explosion of smoke, disrupting Sasori's sight. His mother disappeared into the scroll.

-x-

Seven Years Old

"Congratulations." Karura, Sasori and another student stood in front of the Jonin, Misaki Satomi, a highly skilled Shinobi within Sunagakure and well known for her extraordinary cheery disposition.

She bore mouse brown hair that was cut to her shoulders, a common hairstyle in the hot wasteland of the Wind Country, along with the official flak jacket of a Jonin and a long staff of her back. The pole ended on one side with an extremely sharp blade and the other end possessed three gold bangles - punctured into the wood - that chimed together with each movement their Sensei made, and the pole was covered in dark chakra markings.

"The three of you have the highest scores in your entire class, so it is with great honour that I declare you all to be, as of now, Genin of Sunagakure, and I shall be both your Sensei and team leader." She smiled at the new Shinobi, the heat beating down on their sun-kissed faces, "Now go forth and defend our home; please state your names."

"Sasori Yoshiko." The red head was the second tallest of the trio; he wore black pants, normal Shinobi shoes, a fishnet shirt, and a light brown sleeveless vest. On his right leg he wore a pouch for both kunai knives and first aid equipment while Sasori also wore two large scrolls on his back, both containing several of his hand-crafted puppets.

On his countenance was the traditional paint of the Puppet Brigade of Sunagakure; five red diagonal lines were painted on each half of his face, starting from the red head's eyes and finishing at his jaw line. Also in a darker red paint were five dots; one on his right cheek, one on the left, and three between his brows - each dark red dot was made by each of his fingers. The face paintings were representations of puppet strings and the hand which manipulated them. On his forehead, Sasori wore his brand new headband which bore the symbol of his home on a silver slab of metal.

"Karura Kumiko." The sole female of the Genin was the shortest; she wore a pair of white shorts, a lavender grey sleeveless top, a fishnet shirt underneath, fairly long black heelless boots which almost came up to her knees, her normal yellow scarf, and a weapon/medical pouch on her left leg. Her blonde hair was still short, and her dark teal eyes continued to shine with unforgettable enthusiasm. She was equipped with a huge, sleek black fan - that was currently closed - which her mother had given to her. It was Karura's weapon and Sasori had yet to see its full potential unleashed. She wore her Sunagakure headband around her thin waist.

"Daichi Naokyo." The last seven year old of the three was at least half a head taller than Sasori, and appeared to be rather sickly. There were dark rings around his eyes, and underneath them the skin was sunken in. The male had an exceedingly thin jaw line, and his cheek bones were far too sharp; his hair was bleached white and he had a short fringe line that was tied in bandages with an ugly piggy tail coming out the very top of his head. Daichi's clothes were hidden beneath a black cloak which was patterned with the odd white star here and there.

The albino wore his headband around his neck, and in the middle of his forehead was a star tattoo, signifying that he was of the Hoshi Clan, which was extremely odd considering that the clan had been extinct for half a century and his last name wasn't even Hoshi. The most peculiar part of the seven year old, however, were his eyes. It looked as if half of his pupils had completely disappeared. Instead of the other half, there were two diagonal lines which ran parallel to each other and the remainder of his pupil. Sasori concluded that the boy possessed some type of Dojutsu; a Kekkei Genkai that mutated his eyes.

"Congratulations; you three are now a part of Team Three, and to restate, I shall be your team leader from this point onwards." She smiled at the seven year olds far too happily, "You are to address me as Misaki Sensei and as nothing else. Now first up, to your right you may have noticed the table of weaponry." The Shinobi nodded, only Karura actually turning her head to look at the tools, "All three of you are to choose a weapon each from the table."

"But Misaki-Sensei," Karura frowned at the woman, "can I fight using my fan?" The woman nodded, and the blonde girl smiled brightly.

Sasori and Daichi moved over to the surface, examining the weaponry with critical eyes. The red head, as he gazed about the tools, wondered which ones would suit his puppets. The albino picked up a large, fierce looking mace, examining it, but soon he placed it down, simply moving away from the table without choosing anything. Sasori's eyes were caught the sight of something small gleaming in the sunlight. He picked up the tiny objects, eyebrows rising subtly; senbon needles? Sasori remembered once when he had seen Chiyo brewing a poison and she had tested it out on a rat, instilling the toxin into the helpless creature using a senbon; the rat had soon dropped dead. Sasori gave a gentle hum and stepped away from the other weapons, more than satisfied with his choice.

Sasori was now an official Shinobi of Team Three.


	3. To Mother Island

As White as Blood

Chapter Three

To Mother Island

It was their very first mission; a D-rank of course. Really, the whole thing was stupid as they were only asked to find a lost dog in one of the nearby villages. It had taken roughly two hours to get there, and they were currently in the process of hunting it down.

Job Type: Lost Pet

Rank: D-Rank

Location: Osamu-Nori

Client Name: Hiruko Yuuta

Description: Find pet dog and bring back alive.

Other: Brown fur. Black spots. White paws. Large. Vicious if provoked. No collar. Long Tail. Standing ears. Answers to 'Sky'.

Cost: 16,000 Ryo

Time expected: Less than one day

Assigned Team: Team Three

Led by: Misaki Satomi

"Here Sky!" Karura whistled, trying to find the creature, though Sasori shot her a warning look. "What? We're looking for a dog, not hiding from a Missing-Nin." She shrugged and continued to call out the name until out of nowhere, they heard a loud bark. The seven year olds and their teacher fell silent as out of no where, a giant monster dog appeared. It was practically twice the size of the Genin, though it wasn't as large as their Sensei and its mouth was dripping with saliva. Sasori stood still, Karura blinked at it, Daichi stepped cautiously back, and Misaki gave a hum. "There you are!"

The blonde girl smiled widely and began to whistle again. The dog paced forward towards the group, curious, and Karura, as fearless as always, walked towards it, not noticing the dog's hidden intent. It suddenly leapt straight for the young girl, baring its sharp dripping fangs murderously. Sky was quick but Sasori was quicker.

There was a puff of smoke as the red head summoned one of his puppets, and when it cleared, the fight was already over. Sky was on the ground, frantically struggling but to no avail. Wrapped around it was one of Sasori's favourite marionettes which he had rightfully dubbed as 'Cephalo'. It was a giant Octopus - or rather a Nonapus as it had nine arms as opposed to eight - which he had crafted at the age of six. Instead of a beak, it had a poisoned barb which was currently lodged in the dog's back. So far Sasori had been unable to concoct a poison which was deadly, but he had managed to create one which could completely paralyse even a large opponent. The dog was shuddering slightly as the poison took effect, but soon its motions stopped all together, except for its sloppy breathing. "Mission accomplished, let's get this _thing_ back to its owner already." Sasori couldn't wait to go back home in order to continue work on his poisons.

-x-

The group of four walked towards the home specified as the monster dog's owners; Sasori, Karura and Daichi led the way while in-between them and their teacher stomped another of the red head's puppets. Its name was Turquoise and it resembled a tortoise with a perfectly spherical shell that had been painted dark blue. The headless marionette had three sturdy but stumpy legs which had gripping claws so that it didn't fall over. Spikes were threateningly arched out of its shell in all directions; Turquoise was a capture puppet, and the thorns assured that one would not try to open it from the outside.

The monster dog, Sky, lay hidden inside of the puppet's protective shell, still paralysed and unmoving. Sasori had been currently thinking about his Sensei, Misaki Satomi, on the journey towards the house. She must have obviously seen the dog's murderous intent, and yet Sasori had been forced to save the day. It appeared that, even if the children were put in mortal danger, Misaki would not bother trying to save them. Maybe if the mission were ranked higher than a D she might have helped, but other than that she wouldn't even bother. "Here we are!" Misaki smiled and pointed to a plain house which stood before their squad. A man sat just outside of it on a brown bench, appearing not at all affected by the basking sunlight.

He looked over and noticed them, standing up off of the chair politely as he greeted the squad, "My, hello there, lads and ladies." The group of four stopped in front of the man and Sasori couldn't help but stare up at him in awe. He was practically three times the size of the redhead - which probably explained why he had such a large dog. His brow and the bridge of his nose were both prominently stuck outwards, seeming to deepen the bags under his small, narrow eyes. The man was mostly bald except for five lines of rough, black hair which defied gravity at their tips by pointing forward. He wore the usual clothes of the Wind Country, except his robe was coloured black.

The man was grinning at them in an almost creepy fashion which was both menacing and charming at the same time. He had no iris, and his pupils were tiny, black and solid. The man was both intimidating and welcoming at the exact same time, and Sasori was intrigued by the knowledge that someone could be so contradicting.

"My name is Hiruko; I believe you have my dog in the puppet?" He had a gruff, deep voice that suited him fairly well, and the red head shyly gave a nod, still awestruck by the man. He twitched both of his index fingers and there was a clacking noise as the puppet split in two straight down the middle, the limp dog falling to the ground. The two parts rolled a metre away from the creature, closing together again and returning the puppet to its three legged state. There was a soon puff of smoke as it disappeared back into the scroll from whence Sasori had summoned it. "My, that's an interesting puppet; did you make it all by yourself?" The red head gave a slow cautious nod, though he felt quite proud to be receiving the complement.

"Your dog is simply paralysed; it tried to attack my friend so I had no other choice. The poison should only last a few more minutes though, so don't worry." Sasori was surprised when the man brought his hand down to ruffle the red head's hair, gently tussling the soft locks.

"That's alright, lad. My, you're just a little tyke, all three of you are, aren't you? My, I didn't become a Genin until I was 'bout ten years old!" He gave a gruff laugh and removed his hand from Sasori's head, "Thanks for getting Sky for me, he keeps running off and if he attacks another resident they reckon I'll probably have to put him down. I hope not cause he is my best bud. My, a pretty young dog as well, only three years old!"

They all gazed towards the sleeping monster, taken slightly aback at how such a large beast could be so young. "That dog is a monster," Daichi frowned and looked back at Hiruko, "you should kill it." Sasori felt like hitting the seven year old; how dare he speak in such a way to such a prideful figure! Hiruko simply laughed, brushing off the comment as he walked over to the unconscious dog, hauling his pet up onto his shoulders.

"My, I could never put poor little Sky down; he may not be the most rational pup out there, but my, he is a damn good boy." The man gave them all another wide grin, baring his teeth in a non-threatening beam, "So what are your names?"

The blonde seven year old spoke for the entire group, smiling happily up at the looming male, "I'm Karura, this is Daichi," she gazed at the albino, "Misaki Sensei," the blonde gestured to their teacher, "and last but not least, this here is Sasori," she pointed to the red head and they all gave polite bows.

"My, it's nice to meet you Karura, Daichi, Misaki and Sasori." The man looked at them all individually and then settled his gaze on the red head "Keep up the puppet-work, tyke. Here ya go; 16,000 ryo for the mission," He handed it to Sasori and gave them one last grin. The red head blinked up at the interesting male and Hiruko once again put his hand onto Sasori's head, ruffling his crimson hair affectionately, "My, I do hope that I see you again soon."

-x-

Sasori sat in the Creation Room, entranced in his work of building a brand new puppet. It was going to be called 'Spit', which was short for 'Spinning-Top'. It was designed to both dig holes, and also to slice opponents up with its many extended blades. It had a base which resembled an enormous screw, and Sasori was currently working on its head. The red head was scraping out the eye sockets which would soon be filled with the usual glass eyeballs. There was a slight scurrying sound behind him on the floor, and he subconsciously grabbed onto a senbon needle that he had set aside, tossing it behind him without even looking, intending to scare off the creature.

There was a loud squeak of agony, and much to Sasori's chagrin the scurrying increased to a frantic pace. The red head blinked and looked around, seeing that he had accidentally impaled the creature right through its body with the needle. Sasori gasped and stumbled off of his chair, hurrying over to the poor little rodent. He picked it up, holding the pained creature in his soft hands as tenderly as possible. "Sorry…I didn't mean to get you…" Sasori carefully pulled the senbon from the rat's side. Even the red head knew that the thing wouldn't live; the needle had burst the poor creature's lungs. Sasori carried it over to the table, resting it gently on the flat surface…No, he was a Shinobi.

Sasori picked up the scalpel which he used for fine details in his carvings and held it over the creature. With one hard downward motion, the rat gave a final squeak of agony and was put out of its misery. He was shaking slightly, having not yet taken the life of anything before, even the life of common vermin. The seven year old pulled the scalpel from the flesh, eyes widening once he saw the red liquid that was dripping from the blade. Sasori was still for a few seconds, blanching slightly, before he looked back to the rat with a new sick fascination. Completely forgetting the anguish he had felt merely a few seconds ago, the seven year old sat down at the table and pulled the dead creature closer.

The red head placed the scalpel against the things throat, slicing the sharp blade through the skin and stopping at the tail. Sasori placed the scalpel back onto the table and moved his hands to each side of flesh. He pulled the skin apart to reveal the inner flesh and organs of the vermin. A wave of nausea hit Sasori at the sight and the horrible stink, but it soon disappeared, leaving a sickening thrill in its stead. The red head was surprised to see how similar the insides looked compared to the human organ diagrams he had studied in school.

He buried his right hand inside of the body, squeezing and tugging the delicate entrails with sick fascination; they felt odd and hot against his gentle skin. With one swift motion he pulled the innards out of the body, shaking from a miniature adrenaline rush. Sasori's eyes suddenly widened as he finally snapped and realised what he was actually doing. The redhead dropped the organs and the tiny corpse, running out of the room towards the bathroom. He needed to vomit.

-x-

Eight Years Old

"Good news, gang!" The three children looked up at their Sensei as she smiled at them ever-brightly, "I've been able to get you a C-Rank mission! It took a lot of convincing, but we got it~" Daichi asked what the mission was for and their sensei answered by reading out the notice she had been given concerning the mission.

Job Type: Escort

Rank: C-Rank

Location: Sunagakure and Mother Island

Client Name: Arata Kaoru

Description: Guide and protect client. Take to Mother Island in Sea Country.

Other: Will need to attain a boat. No anticipated combat, but possibility of encountering pirates.

Cost: 55,000 Ryo

Time expected: Seven and a half days from Suna to Mother Island (1.5 days on land in order to get to Rha Port. Six days on Boat). Doesn't include time taken to return.

Assigned Team: Team Three

Led by: Misaki Satomi

"The mission starts tomorrow, so prepare tonight. We head out at 0600 hours, so be ready." They all nodded and she dismissed them with her usually perky grin.

-x-

Sasori waited outside of his friend's house, impatiently tapping his foot on the icy sand. That was the thing about living in a desert; sweltering days and sub-zero nights, the extreme changes were beginning to get on the red head's nerves for some reason. "Hey Sasori!" The red head turned to see Karura exiting the house with her twin brother following behind her. "Yashamaru wanted to wish us off." The blond gave the red head a good, cautious look; Yashamaru had never liked Sasori. Slowly, however, he put his hand out to shake politely.

Sasori did the same, pressing their palms together and clasping fingers. Yashamaru blinked his eyes wearily, the orbs almost identical to those of Karura. "Good luck on your mission…Look after my sister." It sounded as if Yashamaru was resisting the urge to vomit, and there was a hint of a threat behind the last four words which Sasori easily detected. The red head simply nodded in response, gazing at the boy indifferently.

Yashamaru looked almost exactly like his twin sister; short blond hair, same body type, rather effeminate in appearance. The other brother that Karura had been expecting two years ago had been stillborn. The blonde hadn't actually seemed too distraught about it, or at least, she had hid her depression particularly well. Yashamaru and Sasori let go of each other's hands quickly, hinting towards their dislike of the other, though still being as subtle as possible.

The blond turned once again to his sister, bringing her into an affectionate embrace in farewell before going back into the house, most likely back to his mother who had been sickly ever since the failed birth and the death of her husband in the war. Sasori looked to Karura, giving a very slight smirk; it was an expression which was becoming more and more natural to him, "He hates me~"

"So? Of course he does! If it hadn't been for your high scores, I'd be in the same squad as him and he'd be a Genin, and besides, you don't like him either~" Karura stuck her tongue out at the red head. "But just you wait; he'll be a better Shinobi than the both of us combined!" Sasori simply scoffed and rolled his eyes, "So what did you bring?"

The red head gave a simple shrug and began to list things off using his fingers, "I've brought Cephalo, Turquoise, Tyke, and a new puppet which still needs a bit of tuning called Spit. Plus some tools so that on the boat trip I'll have something to do. I've had an idea of an upgrade for Turquoise that I've been meaning to install for ages now…"

Karura nodded and smiled, "Cool, what kind of an upgrade?" The red head simply ignored the question, silently letting her know that it was a secret. Daichi was already waiting for them outside his own house, "Hi Dai!" The blonde smiled widely at the albino and Daichi straightened up, the same stoic expression that he always wore practically plastered on his face.

"Hello Karura and Sasori. Are you ready to go?" They nodded and set out, continuing their steady traipse through their homeland; the village was still sound asleep, and it would not begin to thrive until a few more hours had passed.

Misaki was already standing at the entrance of Sunagakure, waiting for her students to arrive, and she gave her usual smile once she saw them, waving enthusiastically in her normal greeting. "The woman that we are escorting should arrive here in a few minutes; I take it that you are all prepared?" The trio nodded in unison and Misaki Sensei clapped her hands three times in excitement. "Oh, isn't this thrilling? Our first C-Rank mission as a team!"

"Are you the Shinobi I hired?" A skinny woman was walking towards them, her pitch black hair mixing with the already looming darkness. She wore a red sleeveless shirt which hugged her body, emphasizing each curve and making them even rounder. She also wore equally tight black shorts, a pair of common sandals, and of course the woman wore no Sunagakure headband as she was not a Shinobi, even if one might think she was by the aura surrounding her. The woman looked kind, but Sasori could tell immediately that her looks were deceiving. As soon as she reached them, she sneered down at the three eight year olds, as if disgusted by them, "Well, aren't you all such scrawny little things?" She looked back at Misaki, "Where is your squad? They were supposed to be here by now so that we could leave as soon as possible."

"This is my squad, Ms Kaoru." Misaki continued to give her usual smile, perfectly unaffected by the harsh criticism, "I apologize if they might not look like much, but I assure you that they are highly skilled." The woman continued to sneer in disgust at the children, but their squad leader never once stopped smiling, "Let me introduce you; I am Misaki Satomi, while these are Karura, Sasori and Daichi. We'll be the squad escorting you to Mother Island."

"Hmph," the woman's face twitched in absolute annoyance, "whatever; I guess that something is better than nothing…Fine then, my cart is waiting outside the village…Well? Quit gawking and get moving!" The trio of Genin nodded in unison, ignoring the woman's attitude, and led the way out of their home.

-x-

The entire team of Squad Three had been walking for over a day straight across the unchanging desert, while Arata had not left her caravan even once. It was currently being pulled by a giant desert coloured lizard, which moved at the same pace as the Shinobi, "Don't worry, Sasori," Karura smiled at the red head, "just half a day and we'll be at the port. Then when we're on the boat we can get a nice long rest."

"Yeah, and I can work a bit on my puppets…" He gave a soft smile, an act which was becoming rarer as he grew older, putting a food pill into his mouth.

"That's the spirit! A little walking never hurt anyone…That much." She grinned at the red head and he handed her a food-pill to keep her hunger sustained. Karura slipped it into her mouth and swallowed it without hesitation, giving a slight hum of content, "I once heard a saying…'Red night, Shinobi's delight, red dawn, Shinobi's mourn'." She gave a laugh and then a grin at the red head, putting her hands behind her wavy blonde hair, "Mama told me it before I left, because sailors also have the same saying; apparently a red dawn means that there is a bad storm coming."

Sasori gave a nod and continued to walk forward through the blazing heat of the desert, "Okay then, let's hope that there aren't any red dawns while we are at sea." Karura gave a nod of agreement and a soft chortle, smirking ever wider.

-x-

The five sat at the port, waiting for the ship they were going to go on to allow them aboard. Arata's caravan had already been loaded onto the ship, while she had taken the expanding tag off of her lizard, returning the creature to its original size. The thing currently sat on her shoulder, occasionally darting its tongue out of its mouth in order to snatch up unweary insects that flew within its range.

Sasori and the other eight year olds had never been on a boat before; in fact, they had never even left the Land of Wind until that day. The war was still raging, so unless one was fighting in it, there wasn't much chance of going anywhere worthwhile. The Land of Sea was neutral territory, however, so all of the countries were able to go there, even if they were in the war, as long as there were no fights or disputes, "What is with that face paint, kid? It looks weird…"

Sasori was brought away from his thoughts by the snide, pretty woman who was currently giving him a critical eye, and the redhead blinked at her slowly with his innocent brown eyes. "I'm a part of the Puppet Brigade." Arata gave him a questioning look, silently ordering him to expand the statement, "It's a group of Shinobi who are expert puppeteers, and this face paint shows that I'm a member."

"So you're a puppeteer, ay?" She looked him up and down, and then gave a snort, "I guess that you should be since you don't really appear strong enough for Taijutsu or smart enough for any other Jutsu." Sasori hid his annoyance at the woman, turning to glare at something else so as to control his irritation. He was slightly above average at Taijutsu and he was also extremely intelligent, but he chose not to say anything lest he jeopardize the mission.

-x-

Sasori didn't want to wake up; the bed was so comfortable and the swaying of the boat simply made him drowsier. He pulled the sheets higher up his body, intent on falling back to sleep, but alas no matter how hard the red head tried, sleep would not come.

After half an hour of tossing and turning he finally sat up in the bed, looking around the cabin. He was sharing a room with Daichi (Karura was sharing with Misaki and Arata had her own cabin), but the albino had awoken and left to explore the ship earlier, leaving the red head to his nonexistent sleep.

They had been travelling by boat for two days now which meant that a quarter of the trip had already gone by…But then again, it would take another six days in order to return back to the Land of Wind. It was a good thing that, unlike Karura, the red head hadn't experienced any sea sickness throughout the voyage. When he had last checked up on the girl she had been contemplating jumping off of the boat and swimming all the way in order to avoid the nauseating back and forth sway.

Sasori didn't feel like going out to smell the salty sea air, or to watch the icy blue waves at that moment, so he decided to work on his puppet, Turquoise. The redhead took out the two scrolls which he had placed beside his bed the night before, opening both of them and activating the seals. A bunch of tools appeared out of one, and Turquoise was summoned via the other. He placed the scrolls down and, using chakra strings, he opened up the hand crafted puppet.

Sasori had been busy building another inner shell; it was supposed to always remain balanced and to never ever touch the outer shell. This would be so that no matter how much the puppet tossed or turned, the inner section would always stay unmoving. If Sasori could manage to install the device, then that would mean he'd be able to ride in the puppet whenever fast transported was needed - without risk of any broken bones or necks. It would be simple to design Turquoise's legs so that they folded up, which would make it possible for the puppet to roll at great speeds.

This would definitely cut time off of travelling, and also energy as he would only need chakra strings to control the puppet…Though he would also have to work out a way to see where he was going while inside of Turquoise…None the less, Sasori believed that if he was able to pull it off, then the puppet would indeed be a highly valuable asset within his collection.


	4. The Bracelets

As White as Blood

Chapter Four

The Bracelets

It was the fifth day of sailing and something was not right. Sasori stood on the deck, looking out at the swelling crystal ocean, and Karura - who had been over her sea sickness for roughly two day - stood next to the redhead as well. "Do you feel it?" Sasori simply nodded, giving a gentle hum of agreement, "What do you think it is? A storm?"

"No, the sea is a bit too calm for a storm…" Both eight year olds frowned in unison. "Maybe there is approaching danger...?" Since this was a C-Rank mission, there wasn't a high chance of being pulled into a fight; however there was always a chance.

"...I don't like this, Sasori..." Karura straightened up and looked around, "What should we do?"

-x-

Sasori had already summoned his puppets by the time the enemy boarded the ship; pirates. Not uncommon in the Land of Seas, but they were inclined to avoid ships which did not seem worth harvesting. The ship which the Shinobi had chosen was not the least bit wealthy in appearance - there were stains on the sides and barnacles were overly populous. Never-the-less, the pirates were currently boarding the lousy dingy while the crew of the ship were staying back behind the trained Shinobi and Arata was still inside her cabin. The leader of the enemies gave the four Shinobi a grin, revealing a golden tooth. "Aye, got any treasure? Or do we gotta beat it out o' ya?"

The three eight year olds fell into a fighting stance, trying to appear intimidating to their untrained enemy despite their age. The pirates merely cackled at them, amused by the sight of the children trying to act tough. Misaki stood back, appearing confident that her team would be able to defeat the pirates without her assistance.

"Suna must be real desperate if they 'ave made a bunch o' kids like you into Shinobi," he motioned to their Sunagakure headbands. "Honestly, a bunch o' runts like you?" Sasori's brand new puppet appeared out of no where; Spit spun fast, extending the blades on its arms, head and legs. A wind tag was attached to the puppet's foundation, keeping the drill base from touching the wooden deck. The initial attack immediately took out two of the pirates, dicing them up into bits with blood splashing over the wooden planks. Their cries of agony didn't even escape before the duo met their demise. The leader of the enemy sneered and drew his curved sword, as did the rest of his gang.

Karura pulled her Giant Folding Fan from her back and flicked it partly open, revealing one purple circle. "HYA!" The blonde used her strength to wave the fan, sending a destructive gust of wind at the pirates; at least five were sent screaming into the water.

Daichi activated his Kekkei Genkai, his odd pupils beginning to spin in circles. The star on the eight year old's forehead began to glow as white as his hair; "Armageddon Star." A single, dark cloud formed in the sky above the boat and there was a sound similar to thunder as the mass morphed into a deadly hurricane. Daichi, appearing to be in control of the natural disaster, lowered his gaze to the water. The twister followed, plunging into the ocean; instead of engulfing the wind, the water became caught in the rapid spinning, creating a fast twirling whirlpool. Those that Karura had knocked into the water were sucked in and tossed about like rag dolls, plunging down to their dooms.

The leader and the other two survivors ran at the children in a desperate attempt to save themselves. The blonde girl gave another mighty wave of her fan, and they were shoved to the side, into the clutches of Sasori's Nonapus puppet, Cephalo. The redhead had upgraded the puppet, imbedding another poison barb into the end of each tentacle so that it now had a total of ten poisoned points. The nonapus wrapped its limbs around the victims, injecting all three with the paralysing poison - Sasori had still been unable to concoct one which was deadly, despite an innumerable number of different blends. As soon as the three men stopped moving, Sasori traipsed casually over to them, drawing three senbon as he did so. The red head stopped when he was one metre away from the trio, indifferently tossing the needles at the men. Each embedded itself into a pirate's neck, hitting a spot which killed all three instantly. Sasori had spent weeks perfecting his senbon throwing skills, having also needed to review diagrams of the human anatomy. The red head, after peering into the eyes of the enemy to make sure that they were dead, removed his precious needles, not even bothering to wipe them as he put them back into his pouch.

Cephalo let go of the trio, their bodies clattering to the ground and Karura gave one last wave of her weapon, the corpses flying into the raging whirlpool, disappearing beneath the waves. After a few seconds, Daichi's pupils stopped spinning, and the star on his head returned to normal. The whirlpool disappeared at the same time, the water slowly returning to its state of calm once more. Sasori gave a small smile as he tenderly ran an affectionate hand over the skull of his Nonapus puppet, before walking over to Spit.

The marionette had stopped spinning, but continued to float due to the wind tag attached to it. Sasori gave it a critical eye, before an idea struck him. He returned the two puppets to their scroll before turning around. "I'm going to get to work on Turquoise; I just had an idea." Before anyone could say anything, the redhead had already disappeared below deck.

-x-

Sasori was busily putting the final touches to Turquoise; they would be landing today, and he was eager to finish before reaching Mother Island. It had taken Sasori ages to perfect the two Permanent Wind Release paper tags, but he had managed to finish them at last. Now Sasori was simply carving a hole into the inner shell.

The puppet was designed so that the outer shells could split in half, yet still keep the inner shell in the centre. The outer sides would spin in the same direction when led by Sasori's skilled fingers, letting the puppet reach amazingly fast speeds. A few wooden columns had been built to connect the two frames, but could easily slide back into turquoise in the incident that Sasori once again needed the entire protection of the outer shell. Due to the paper tags attached to each inner side of the two outer shells, the centre containment unit would not only remain suspended in the middle, not touching the two moving sides, but it would remain upright.

Sasori was in the process of putting an eyehole into the inner shell so that the redhead would be able to see where he was going, the view would only be disrupted by the few wooden columns, but depending on the speed Turquoise were travelling, they would not be much of a disturbance.

Also, the line running through the inner core (the edges of the two half-spheres) went through horizontally, while the outer shell's line was vertical. This fine line on the exterior was the sole weakness of the puppet's defence, as if it were hit dead centre by a weapon, such as a sword or anything similar, it could be pried open. But if it were in a single slash, then it would simply hit the outside of the inner shell, avoiding the point where the two half-spheres of the core met - also if Sasori were to abruptly open both inner and outer shells, he wouldn't come tumbling out but would be seated in the bottom half of the core.

-x-

Finally, the boat was pulling into port, and Sasori was bidding goodbye to the constant, ceaseless sickening swaying, and saying hello to dry land. Mother Island was particularly different from Sunagakure; the ground was paved and the colour green was every where. The scent of freshly cut grass and flowers filled the air, which Sasori only recognised from the times he had visited the Sunagakure Green House, searching for ingredients to his poisons.

The trees gently waved at the group of Suna Shinobi and their client, as if welcoming them from a distant land. It was the kind of place which you just wish you could hate, but sadly you could not. Arata had put the paper tag back onto her pet lizard, once again enhancing its size significantly. The creature hauled the woman's caravan along as they walked towards the place where her stall would be set up.

Eventually they reached the area, and all of them stopped. Arata turned to the group, the same disgusted look as always. "Well, we're here…Thank you for helping me." She opened up the caravan door and disappeared inside, returning a few seconds later. "Here is the money I owe you; 55,000 Ryo…And here, you kiddos can have these." Arata handed each eight year old a single silver bracelet, "They're a small thanks for beating those pirates up back there." She gave them an odd small smile, "Those three are a part of a series, and there are no others like them. The Scorpion is a symbol of defence, calm and self protection." Arata pointed at Daichi's silver bracelet and the scorpion carving which it bore. "The wolf is a symbol of loyalty, success and perseverance." She gestured to Karura's bracelet which indeed had a wolf carved into the silver. "And lastly, the dove is a representation of love, innocence and gentleness." She pointed at Sasori's bracelet, which bore a carving of a dove at its centre. "It is said that no matter the turmoil or distance, these three bracelets are destined to always reunite. I've seen it happen before, and I know that in the future it will happen again." Arata shrugged and placed a small, clanging bag of Ryo into Misaki's hand. "That is all I need of you; you've completed your mission. Have fun and remember what I told you, Kiddos."

-x-

Sasori, Karura and Daichi were exploring the island by themselves and the villagers that they had come across seemed rather friendly, always waving and smiling. This island was probably benefiting because of the war which was ravishing the mainland as their exports such as fish were probably in high demand. Sasori was particularly surprised by the fact that they had not seen any enemy Shinobi since the island should have been more or less crowded with them.

They left the village and came out into a field of long, wavy grass which was patterned with light pink flowers. Karura laughed and began to run through the blossoms and Sasori gave a rare smile, following after her, forgetting all about the war. Daichi rolled his eyes, but then had a change of heart and followed. They were only eight years old after all; being a Shinobi did not mean that they weren't kids.

Karura ran, picking up random flowers and creating a single-coloured bouquet while Sasori dug his hand into the soil, tossing a chunk at her. The blonde ducked, dodging it easily as she laughed, starting to throw the useless flowers at the redhead, the poor things barely going a metre before falling back to earth.

"Well, well, well…" The three eight year olds tensed and spun around simultaneously, meeting another three figures. They were older than Sasori's team, probably thirteen years of age and all wore fish net shirts, except for the apparent leader of the team who wore a flak jacket. The girl had the longest blonde hair that Sasori had ever seen. In Sunagakure, due to the heat, women were known to either cut their hair short, like Karura, or tie it up, like his granny, in order to help with the heat of living in a desert. The blonde's hair easily reached half way down her back and was not tied up, blowing mystically in the wind. She wore a magenta outfit under the jacket which bore only one sleeve, while her eyes were an icy blue, similar to the sky in colour, and around her neck she wore a black Shinobi headband. The metal slab attached to it bore the symbol of two rocks; Iwagakure. "Well, look what we have here! Some Suna-Rats playing in the dirt!"

Sasori's eye twitched as he got the sudden urge to wring the stupid girl's throat, but the redhead could tell that she probably wasn't stupid. Sure, she was pretty enough to appear stupid, but there was a sharp, cunning look which thrived in those icy eyes. Karura was the first to speak, "Oh, well if it isn't some Iwa-Ants come to make a nest~ Jealous of out dirt, are you? Now, if only we had some Ame-Salamanders and some Konoha-Crows we could have a mini war."

The two Iwagakure boys gave a growl at the term 'Iwa-Ants', taking a step forward, however the blonde Iwa girl shot them a look which immediately made the duo stop. She looked back at the Suna-Nin, giving a subtle smirk. "You should know that Mother Island is neutral territory; even a couple of Genin Rats should have enough commonsense to realise that." She snickered and picked up a flower which Karura had thrown earlier, twirling it oddly between her fingers. "If either of our groups were to engage in battle, then we would most likely be kicked off the Island, yeah."

"We do know about that," Sasori spoke, shooting Karura a slightly annoyed look, wishing that on occasions she would be able to shut her mouth, "my friend was just joking. We're not here to cause trouble."

"Yes," Daichi spoke up, "we were merely playing until you came along." The blonde Iwa-Nin gave a chuckle, grinning at the trio rather menacingly, continuing to twirl the flower in her fingers.

"Fine then; we'll be on our way…Oh, take this," she tossed the flower at them and Sasori managed to catch it, "it might make you barbarians slightly more civilized." The red head opened his hand to look at the flower, "See you, yeah." In a flash of speed, the three Iwa-Nin disappeared, including the snarky blonde girl.

Sasori snickered slightly before squeezing his hand tightly around the stem of the flower. He blinked in surprise when he felt a slight pain in his palm, and he unclenched his hand, noticing a small piece of paper wrapped around the stem; the obvious culprit of his faintly bleeding paper cut. Sasori took the note, reading over it covertly before proceeding to crush the flower in his fist, dropping the remains into the dirt.

-x-

Sasori stood in the middle of the field; it was late at night, and he was all alone…Well, almost; "I thought that you would chicken out."

The red head turned around to see the blonde Iwa Chunin from earlier walking towards him, and he shot her a bored expression, "Why would I? You're simply an Iwa-Ant; you're about as threatening as…One of these flowers."

"Ah, but a flower can be very threatening. You see, I am a part of Iwagakure's Explosion Corps…And just to let you know, that flower to your right is the one I was holding earlier…" She grinned widely and then suddenly jumped back. It quickly clicked in Sasori's mind as to what her plan was, having learnt of Iwa's infamous Explosion Corps at The Academy. Sasori barely managed to summon his upgraded tortoise puppet in time; "HA!" The once harmless flower exploded with a blast that was small but deadly, however, when the smoke cleared, Sasori had been replaced by a giant ball of spikes with three legs. The red head was snug and safe inside of Turquoise; "Huh? A puppeteer? Interesting…I guess the face paint should have given it away…"

"You have the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai…" The blonde gave a laugh as the red head worked out her technique, "You can pump chakra into objects in order to make them into explosives…"

"My name is Asuko Junhi," She laughed once more and began to run, chakra exiting the soles of her feet and seeping into the floor's foliage, "what's your name?"

"Guess." It was easy to keep onto her whereabouts due to all of the Chakra she was expelling into the ground, and it acted like a trail; for an explosion type user it would be best to keep the outer shells sealed shut. He would remain safely hidden inside his puppet.

Sasori closed his brown eyes tightly in concentration, working his chakra strings into the puppet. Turquoise's outer shell began to spin, tossing up dirt and grass for a few seconds before leaping into motion. It spun even faster, chasing after the Iwa-Nin while avoiding the path of chakra laced foliage she had created.

"HA!" Flowers exploded in a burst of fire, but the shell of Turquoise was strong enough to survive the turmoil, continuing to race after the Chunin. Sasori was catching up to her easily, spinning the outside shell in a deadly motion. Just when he almost got her with the lethal spikes, the blonde jumped into the air, avoiding the fatal blades. "NOT BAD, YEAH! HA!" There was another explosion to Sasori's left, and it was enough to send Turquoise shooting to the right. The red head was not at all effected on the inside, quickly setting the puppet once more after the girl.

Turquoise spun towards her and she once again dodged in the deadly game of tag, "Stay still!" After two more jumping dodges, Sasori was getting pretty irked off. He decided to use his wildcard, giving a smirk while summoning one of his puppets to the outside world. The thing toddled about innocently, and Sasori made as if he changed his prey towards the new thing. Tyke was his earliest puppet, aside from the two parental failures. It was a marionette of a small child with short brown baby hair. The eyes were slightly larger than a normal child's, but no one noticed the subtle enhancement which made it irresistibly adorable. A blue bandana patterned with love hearts hid its lower face as Sasori had not been able to make the jaws of his puppets look realistic enough yet, and Tyke toddled about carrying its weapon in hand; a small teddy bear.

"LOOK OUT!" Asuko lunged at the puppet, taking the bait. She rescued it from Turquoise's path of destruction, "HA!" Another patch of terrain exploded, forcing Sasori to change his course away from the Iwa-Nin and Tyke. The red head was now steering Turquoise with one hand, causing it to slow down, but barely noticeably. His other hand controlled Tyke's special move and Sasori grinned as he heard the cry of pain from the Iwa-Nin; it was all over.

The red head turned around and started towards the girl slowly, pausing Turquoise a metre away from her. The puppet's outer shell opened, allowing Sasori to peer through the eye-hole to where the girl lay mostly paralysed. The inner core opened as well, allowing Sasori to casually step outside, crouching down by the defenceless girl. Asuko was desperately struggling against the poison, small movement tremors coursing through her body, but she only had control of her head. Sasori looked over at Tyke, "Do you like him?" The puppet's bear had its mouth open, a poisoned kunai knife sticking out of it, "Tyke was designed so that people would let their guard down." Sasori sealed the puppet once more into the scroll which sat on his back, leaving Turquoise still sitting a metre behind them, "Aren't brats simply irresistible?"

The blonde gave a humiliated growl, clenching her teeth together in annoyance. "What the hell? How dare you poison me you stupid-" …She was quiet for a few seconds, restoring her composure. "…You beat me, Genin. I shall not be a sore loser…You may kill me…But first I would like to know your name…"

The red head gave a gentle hum, pulling a kunai knife from his leg pouch, sitting down next to her. "If you can guess it, then I'll let you go." He had an unusual desire to see what was inside of the pretty girl; was her blood the same as his?

"…" She snickered and shot him a cocky grin, "Nimble-Still-Creep?"

"…Pfft, I see that in that barbarian land of yours they do tell stories…" The story of Nimble-Still-Creep was a tale of a woman who had wanted to get married to the Kage of her village, but she hadn't even been a Shinobi. Her father would tell tales of how his daughter could turn Chakra into golden thread and when the Kage heard the rumour, he decided that the girl would be able to solve the village's economic problems. So he locked her in a dark dungeon and then ordered her to spin him lots of golden thread. She could not do this, of course, but late into the night, a small man wearing an ANBU Black Ops mask appeared.

He claimed that in exchange for her silver bracelet, the man would create the golden thread for the woman. She gave him her bracelet without hesitation and he then fulfilled his part of the deal. The next day, the Kage told the woman that if she could do it just one more time, then he would make her his wife. That night, once again the ANBU appeared before her, but alas she had nothing more to give him. So the ANBU said that he would do it if she'd give him the small price of her first born son. The woman agreed and the very next day she was happily married to the Kage. Alas, exactly one year later she had given birth to a small son.

The ANBU appeared one night and ordered her to hand over the baby that she had promised him, but she refused, bursting out into tears. The ANBU couldn't help but take pity on the woman, so he told her that if she could guess his name correctly the next night, then he would allow her to keep the baby. But when the next night came she unfortunately could not guess what his name was.

The ANBU chanted a sadistic song, "You should not have made a promise which you could not keep, so I shall take your son for my name is Nimble-Still-Creep." The ANBU snatched the baby from the crying woman's arms and then soundlessly slit her throat, disappearing into the night with the dead lady's son. They were never seen again.

Once Karura had told him a different version where the woman had guessed the correct name and Nimble-Still-Creep had proceeded to burn to death in a burst of hellfire, leaving the girl with her son. But Sasori preferred the version he had grown up knowing as it had a very strong moral warning; never make a promise that you didn't intend to keep.

"So you're offering me your first born son?" Sasori raised an eyebrow at the Iwa-Nin, twirling the kunai in his hand. "I don't really think that I'd have much use in owning a crying, snivelling Iwa-Brat." The red head gave an almost sadistic chuckle, smirking cruelly, and he held up the kunai knife, prepared to end the thirteen year old's life with one simple slice to her throat.


	5. To be a Chunin

As White as Blood

Chapter Five

To be a Chunin

Sasori's hand stopped in midair, the kunai knife hanging uselessly just above its still living prey. The redhead gave a subtle frown and got to his feet, turning around to face his puppet Turquoise, "Well? Aren't you going to kill me already?" Sasori gently stroked his beloved marionette; the friction between the blades and the ground had caused the metal to become warm and dirt smudges tediously stained the spikes. Sasori would have to clean the metal when he returned back home to Sunagakure, and maybe give it a new paint job.

The eight year old sealed his puppet back into the scroll, satisfied that the inner core had functioned flawlessly, "No; the only reason I came was to test my latest modification to my puppet, Turquoise." He shrugged and turned back to the pretty blonde, giving a pleasant smile. "Killing you would just be a waste of time. Maybe if you were from Konoha…But as you said earlier, this is neutral territory, and I do not want to cause any trouble for my village…" Sasori walked back to the girl's side, picking up her limp hand. "Here, Nimble-Still-Creep…" The eight year old slipped the bracelet he had been given earlier around the girl's wrist, the intricate silver carvings flashing in the moonlight, "My bracelet." The dove which the band bore was just as peaceful in appearance as when Sasori had received it just yesterday.

Sasori straightened up once more and let her limp hand drop to the ground before he turned and started walking back to the village. Asuko laughed loudly behind him, but Sasori didn't even bother to turn to face her. "You can't even finish me off! Don't bother even trying to become a Chunin; you'll never make-!" She was cut off as the poison finally caused her lips to become paralysed.

Sasori ignored the insane blonde; it was the last time he ever saw the mother of his future catastrophe. As he walked, he bent down to pick up a single pink flower, slipping it into his pocket. "I promise you that I will become the most powerful Shinobi the likes of you, and everyone else, has ever seen."

-o-

…Asuko Junhi…That meant something along the lines of 'Tomorrow Child Pure Sun'…Ironic…

I prefer to translate her name as 'Tomorrow's Child is a Pure Son'…Or maybe not…She _did_ eventually have a son, and he did play a major part in the last few years of my life…The last five years to be exact.

I really should have killed her; it would have saved my self a lot of future hassle…But enough dwelling in the future; back to the past.

-o-

Sasori stood on the deck of the ship, looking out towards the sea; they were finally headed back home to Suna. Mother Island was still visible on the horizon, but it was disappearing even more so with each second that slipped by. Karura and Daichi stood next to him, both unaware of the fight that Sasori had been a part of last night. The red head closed his eyes, letting the rising sun bathe his skin in the missed warmth. "Hey Sasori," Karura's voice cut in like a knife, "your bracelet is gone…"

Sasori opened his eyes and looked at his best friend, blinking his muddy brown eyes shortly. He acted oblivious, inspecting his wrist and pretending to notice for the first time that the dove wasn't staring up at him. The red head gave a sad fake pout along with a frown, "It must have come off at some point…"

"Here," Sasori blinked and looked to his other friend, Daichi; the albino was holding out his bracelet, offering it to the redhead, "you can have mine." Sasori gave a half real smile and shook his head modestly.

"I can't take it," he gave a shrug; "you keep it. It's just a bracelet after all, I won't die without one." Daichi gave a nod and put it back onto his wrist, giving Sasori a smile that was even rarer than the red head's.

"Well, it is a shame that you lost it. But look on the bright-side, since there are only three like it, then if you see anyone other than Karura and I wearing one, then you'll know that it was yours. It's rather interesting to see where things we lose wind up."

"Are you kidding?" Karura gave a laugh. "Arata could have been lying when she said about there only being three in the world. For all we know there could be millions of them. Besides, even if there were only three, the chances of finding the person who found it somewhere in the future are slim to none."

"Yeah," Sasori gave a shrug, "she was really doubtful about our skills as Shinobi…"

"Who could blame her?" Karura gave a laugh, "We're eight years old! Sure we are Genin, but we're still children in appearance at least."

"I agree; people must find it generally hard to take us seriously. Either they believe we have the skills capable of being Genin, or they think that the war is making Sunagakure desperate for Shinobi."

Karura gave a sigh, running a hand through her blonde hair, "It's a sad world we live in." The two other Genin agreed with the girl and then they were all silent for a while, watching the waves churning smoothly, rippling as the boat sliced slowly through the water.

"Well, I'm tired; I couldn't sleep last night." The red head silently watched as the last view of Mother Island disappeared beneath the horizon, as if it had been swallowed up by the waves that surrounded it. Sasori turned and walked away from his two friends, disappearing below deck, headed for his room with the intent of future sleep.

Misaki Sensei stood leaning against the wall next to Sasori's cabin door, appearing to be waiting for him. The red head gave a confused noise, shooting the woman a questioning expression. She looked towards him, and the first thing that he noticed was that her trademark smile was replaced by a stern, cold face. "You should have **killed** that girl, Sasori." Misaki was actually shooting him a disapproving glare, a drastic contrast to her usual disposition, "She was an Iwa-Nin; our enemy…And you just let her go. Now she is going to go back to her village, she'll probably tell them all about what happened, and then when Mother Island finds out, they'll stop trading with us in order to keep up trade with Iwagakure. They are able to pay a higher price for supplies than our village."

Sasori resisted the urge to look away from his Sensei's accusing gaze, giving an apologetic look, "But she won't, Sensei…Asuko is too prideful to ever admit to anyone in her village that an eight year old Suna-Rat had beaten her…"

Much to his shock, Misaki took a step forward and slapped him hard across the face. Sasori was in momentary shock, instinctively grasping onto his stinging left cheek, giving a hiss of agony as his fingers fell on the burning flesh. "You better hope so, Sasori, for your sake." With that, the usually placid woman walked away, her hard shoes echoing loudly against the wooden floor.

Tears burned in Sasori's muddy eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Before Misaki Sensei was completely out of earshot, Sasori yelled out to her, "I WANT TO BECOME A CHUNIN, SENSEI!" She stopped walking for a few seconds, but then began to leave again. Sasori looked away as an involuntary tear escaped his eye, sliding down his burning cheek. "…" His lip quivered in anguish and he shook his head, "I _will _become a Chunin…I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD OF ME, SENSEI! I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD!"

-o-

…I eventually did make her admit that she was proud of me; but that was when I was twenty-seven years old, long after I had stopped caring about what she thought about me…She was insane…Really, she was.

Sensei is a good example of what Sunagakure drives people to be. She even destroyed her own- …No…I won't spoil too much of what happens, especially something nineteen years in the future; and even though I am impatient and I hate to keep others waiting, all must come in due time.

-o-

Sasori, Karura and Daichi were speeding towards the village within Turquoise's inner shell. It was crowded inside, but the trip would only take half as long than it would by foot, even though the puppet could not go as fast as it could if only Sasori were inside due to the added weight. Misaki Sensei had said that she'd meet them at the village the next day and that she'd make her own way back. The outer shell was split in two so that Sasori could see out of the eyehole, "So, we all agree?"

"Yeah," Karura grinned and gave a laugh, "we are strong enough to be Chunin."

"I agree," Daichi gave a shrug, "we certainly have the skill and intelligence to climb to the next level."

"So that's it then," Sasori gave a gentle hum as he continued to control the puppet, kicking up sand behind them, "we're going to become Chunin."

"…But how?" Daichi repositioned himself into a more comfortable position inside of the cramped puppet, "Do either of you know how exactly we become Chunin?"

Both Sasori and Karura shook their heads in rue. "We should- Ow! Sasori, you're weapons pouch is digging into my solar plexus!" The red head shuffled slightly inside of the cramped space; next time he would definitely make a model which was a lot roomier. Even if he were alone in the inner core, soon he would out grow it. Sasori was getting larger everyday, as were his two friends. "As I was saying," Karura gave a sigh, "we should ask Misaki-Sensei. She is bound to know how one becomes a Chunin."

"Of course," Daichi gave a nod, "that would be the most suitable thing to do. She is a Jonin after all…"

"What do you reckon we'll have to do?" The albino and the blonde both managed to give a shrug, despite the cramped space, "Maybe a B-Rank mission…Or an exam…?"

"…It's boiling in here…" Karura gave an annoyed sigh, "We're all sweaty and we stink."

Sasori rolled his eyes at the annoying whining, "Well, we are kind of in a desert, cramped inside of a puppet made of both wood and metal, so of course it isn't exactly comfortable. But you have to admit that it is better than running for one and a half days straight…At least you can't say that we aren't close…"

"…" Karura gave a groan, "Did you just try to make a joke? Seriously Sasori, I'm the funny one, you're the smart one, and Daichi is the lacking-any-kind-of-emotions-whatsoever one."

"…" The albino gave a harsh sigh and shook his head, "The sad thing is that the two of you are actually my best friends…"

-x-

"Welcome home, Sasori." Chiyo smiled at the red head as he entered the kitchen, "We have a visitor."

The red head blinked at his granny, but gave a smile once he recognised the man standing next to her. "Granduncle!" The old man, Ebizo, smiled at his nephew and Sasori took in his appearance. He had large eyebrows which extended off of his face, eyes that were pure black and daunting, though the forty five year old man was actually very kind. Sasori didn't see him a lot, however, since Ebizo was usually away from Sunagakure helping in the war.

"Why hello there, Sasori!" The man laughed and picked up his grandnephew using both arms, "My, you're getting heavy! Soon I won't even be able to pick you up." He placed Sasori back onto the ground and gave a chuckle, "I thought that you wouldn't return until tomorrow, which is why I came today." The man laughed, "You surely have better things to do than talk to an old man like myself…But since you're already here, you can have the small present that I brought for you." Sasori blinked at his granduncle as he pulled something from behind his back, "Here you go."

The redhead took the offered gift, blinking down at it. In his hands was a small notebook with a cover made of tanned lizard skin. It felt coarse beneath Sasori's fingertips and on the front cover were intricate designs painted in white outlines. They depicted a cloudy, raining sky with lightening falling down, distant mountains which appeared to have a waterfall and a field of flowers and trees. Some of the mountains were also covered in snow, but not all of them were. Sasori turned it over to see that the design continued on the back; the field of flowers gradually melted into a barren desert, and then into an ocean. The mountains faded to nothing, and the sky stopped its ceaseless crying to give way to a flaming sun.

The various terrains obviously represented some of the countries, such as the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightening, the Land of Wind, the Land of Waves and a few other lesser known places, such as Takigakure. Across the sterile sand scuttled several scorpions and slithering snakes while in the sky flew a flock of birds, most possibly doves considering that they were completely white. "Wow…Thank you Granduncle!" Sasori smiled up at the man innocently and Ebizo returned the gesture politely.

"It's for sketching; Sis keeps telling me about how you have been making such extraordinary puppets! So I decided that maybe you should take down some ideas in case your granny is working on her own puppets and requires the Creation Room." He gave a short laugh, "Or maybe you should make your own working space." Sasori smiled up at his granduncle, hugging his waist tightly as the red head thanked the kind man.

-x-

Turquoise spun fast, carrying the red head out into the icy desert night; Sasori's granduncle had given him an amazing idea. The place which had once taken two and a half hours to get to was already in sight after just a single hour. Sasori slowed down the puppet until it came to a neat halt just outside the small cave and the red head opened the puppet, stepping out and gazing at the cliff face.

The carvings which the red head and his best friend had carved into the wall only three years before were only subtly weather worn after countless sandstorms. The bird which represented the dream Sasori had had to fly was still pronounced, as was the carving of the brother which Karura had been expecting but had never been born alive.

Turquoise closed its hatches and the three stumpy legs folded out of the puppets base as Sasori walked inside, controlling the puppet so that it waddled in after him as he made a few quick hand signs, "Chakra Release: Orb of Light." A ball of glowing chakra formed in the air, floating steadily to light the darkness ahead of him.

Sasori began to walk deeper into the cave, gazing over the carvings which he and Karura had done on different occasions. There were drawings of animals, insects and reptiles; there were stick figures, and poorly drawn carvings which they had done when they had first found the hidey-hole. Near the end of the cave were the village symbols which had all been slashed - aside from the Sunagakure gourd of course. On the wall was carved 'Sasori was Here', 'Karura was Here' and 'Daichi was Here also'. On one occasion the blonde and red head had brought the albino to their hideout, but none of the three had been there in a few months. Sasori gave a hum, but didn't stop, continuing forward until he reached a dead end. This was it.

The red head summoned his newest puppet, Spit and Sasori initiated the wind tag which he had installed into the marionette so that it came off of the dirty ground. With Sasori's left hand he reopened Turquoise's two shells, stepping into the inner core, not even needing to leave the outer shell open for his chakra strings to remain attached to Spit. In the case of debris or even a collapse, he would still be perfectly safe. The puppet unfolded its blades and - at the red head's command - began to spin erratically.

Sasori pushed it with chakra threads, leading the puppet towards the solid wall. Rather that breaking the blades, Sasori moved the puppet on a slight angle so that when it reached the wall, the wind tag caused the puppet to start moving up the surface, the drill soon becoming level with the stone. Sasori hastily deactivated the tag and pushed the puppet forward, connecting the screw-like base with the wall. There was a grinding noise as the drill began turning stone to dust, eating away at the rock effectively. Some debris hit Turquoise, but it just bounced off the hard wood and metal harmlessly; Sasori would soon have his own Creation Room.

-x-

The red head slept amongst the dust and debris of the new room, absolutely exhausted. His two beloved puppets lay as if dead not too far away from him. Sasori had been at work with Spit for at least four hours straight, and he was exhausted beyond belief. Controlling two puppets for such an extended period of time, plus at such a late hour wiped the red head out. Before he had fallen asleep, Sasori had done a small carving to symbolise a finished job.

Dug into the wall was a picture of himself and his two best friends. Karura stood on his right in the drawing, while Daichi was to his left; Sasori held both of their hands and all three were smiling genuine smiles.

Sasori's sketchbook lay open not too far away; within the two open pages sat the small, pink flower which the red head had acquired on Mother Island. On the back of the very last page of the book was a drawing which he had done of himself with both Karura and Daichi holding hands. It was an obvious replica of the carving on the wall. The eight year old slept peacefully in his secret lair with a small innocent smile graced his lips.

He had dubbed the place as his 'Den'.

-o-

…In the sophisticated words of a certain Brat…My Den became my Tomb…Or as he then unsophisticatedly put it, the cave became my grave…Stupid Brat.

-o-

"So," Misaki stood in front of the three Genin, "you wanna be Chunin?" She clapped her hands together and gave a happy laugh, "My! Isn't this exciting? Oh, you would all make such wonderful Chunin!" Sasori resisted the urge to choke on his tongue; the woman was once again as placid as ever. "It's such a shame that only one of you will survive~!"

The three children gave a confused noise at the strange comment, "Misaki Sensei…" Karura frowned at the woman, "What do you mean that only one of us will survive?"

Misaki gave another laugh, clapping her hands twice and grinning at the three of them innocently, "Because to be a Chunin, you have to kill your team-mates so that there is only one of you left!"

"What?" Sasori had begun to tremble softly at the prospect of killing his two best friends, "Why?"

"It's our way of creating the strongest Chunin teams possible," She shrugged, still continuing her stupid smile; "the sole survivors are placed together so that we create the strongest teams possible. A collection is not about quantity, it's about quality."

"But…" Daichi fell silent for a few seconds before speaking once more, "Did you have to do that when you became a Chunin, Sensei?" Even though he appeared to be mostly unaffected by the prospect of killing a friend, Daichi's voice was clearly trembling.

"Of course!" She gave a laugh and clapped her hands together once again. No wonder she was insane.

"I won't…" Sasori took a step forward, glaring hard at the woman, the bitter taste welling up in his mouth, "I won't kill my friends."

Misaki's grin changed into a sly smirk and she slowly leaned forward so that she was at Sasori's height. "Well then…" The red head could tell just by gazing into her eyes that she absolutely_ hated _him, "You're not going to be alive for much longer, are you?" Sasori loathed his Sensei just as much as she loathed him.

Karura stepped in between the two, loyally moving to Sasori's defence, "None of us are going to kill each other." The red head and the albino echoed her with a 'Right' in agreement, giving concurrent nods.

Misaki gave a sigh and straightened up, putting her hands on her hips while looking downwards at her underlings with a superior gaze. "You know what? When I was a Genin my team mates and I said the exact same thing~" Her smirk reformed, "The next day, one of them tried to kill me." She sighed and brushed some of her mouse brown hair to the side, as if in irritation. The sunlight danced on her skin, giving an odd mix of amber and yellow; an odd mix of beauty and murderous intent. "From this point on, you are now enemies." Misaki gave a high pitched laugh, insanity highly apparent in her hating eyes as her smirk turned into a too happy grin, "Won't this be fun? Let the game begin!"


	6. The Price

A/N- Just in case you got confused, Sasori's Den isn't the place where Sasori fought Chiyo and Saku-slut (his Den is in the Land of Wind while the cave with the fight was in River Country).

As White as Blood

Chapter Six

The Price

Sasori and his two best friends walked down the street of Sunagakure, all deep in thought, "This is just insane." Karura gave a frustrated growl, clenching her teeth in anger, "They can't expect us to kill each other…"

"We are Shinobi..." Daichi shook his head slowly, "It is actually quite an ingenious idea…If we kill something or someone who we love…We'd turn into killing machines…We'd be monsters."

"I don't want to kill…Killing an enemy is one thing, but killing a friend?" Sasori gave a hopeless sigh, "We will just remain Genin for the rest of our lives…" The red wanted to become a Chunin, but he wouldn't kill his friends in order to accomplish that…Would he?

-x-

"Granny Chiyo…" Sasori sat down at the kitchen table where the woman was currently sipping green tea. She seemed to sense the eight year old's distress, giving the red head her full attention. "I don't want to become a Chunin…If it means that I have to kill Karura and Daichi…then I won't…"

Chiyo blinked at her grandson, and then set her tea down on the wooden surface. Sasori gave a yelp once she suddenly slapped him hard across the face. He recoiled in absolute shock, putting a hand to his burning cheek to try and soothe the ache. Why the hell did women keep slapping him? "Then you are a _disgrace_." Sasori stared at the woman like a deer in headlights as she gave him a cold look. The red head tried to say something, when she cut him off, "They are now your enemy, Sasori. If you cannot kill your enemies then you are a failure as a Puppet Master. To be a true Shinobi, one must not be attached to petty ideas such as friends."

"But Granny…" Sasori gave her a hurt, desperate expression, "I don't want to become a heartless killing machine…I don't want to be…A 'monster'…" He frowned slightly.

"Nonsense - that is how you become a true Shinobi. You must kill your team-mates Daichi and Karura, before they kill you first."

"NO!" Sasori glared at the woman, shaking his head fiercely in denial, "I WON'T! I WON'T KILL THEM! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Tears burned in his muddy eyes but he refused to let them rain down – he refused to look pathetic.

Chiyo gave a sharp growl and got to her feet, picking up the finished cup of tea as well. She turned away and placed it down onto one of the countertops instead, before Chiyo stared out of the window quietly for at least a minute. "If you won't kill them…" She put her hand against the window pane, appearing to be looking at the red head's reflection, "Then you'll only bring dishonour to our family."

Sasori gave a sharp intake of air, quietly shocked for a few seconds. After a while, he simply stood up and exited the kitchen, intent on getting away to his Den. Why would a heartless old woman like his granny know how he felt about killing his best friends? She'd been lonely for a long time - SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING!

Deep down, Sasori knew that she was simply looking out for his life; she didn't want Sasori's friends to kill the red head instead. If he didn't kill them, then they would kill him; Chiyo loved her grandson more than anything in the world.

-x-

A few days had passed since they had been told of the criteria of becoming a Chunin and all three were still alive. The red head had been in and out of the village a lot, working on his new hideout. He'd brought a table for the room, a tool rack, an oil lamp, a wall mirror and a broom to sweep out all of the debris from when he had first constructed the place.

Sasori had also, as odd as it seemed, bought a plant. The stall owner had claimed that it liked dark places and that it did not need sunlight, so Sasori had placed it on top of the table. The reason why he had bought it was because plants breathed in carbon dioxide and let out oxygen and because it was similar to a Venus flytrap - Sasori had been having an insect problem. He'd named it Asuko, in memory of the promise he had made to the blonde Iwa-Nin.

"I will become a Chunin…" Sasori gently watered the plant which was similar in appearance to a Venus flytrap. "I will just have to find another way to advance rather than by killing my friends…" He sighed and stood up, turning and walking out of the genjutsu wall that he had set up to fool others into thinking that the cave was simply the same dead end as it had been before.

-x-

Sasori was on his way to his cave when the Shinobi attacked.

Luckily the red head was inside of Turquoise when it happened; "SUPERNOVA!" There was a whooshing noise as something fell to earth and it made a loud bang when it hit the sand near Sasori, causing Turquoise to go flying into the air. Sasori instinctively shut the outer shell as another object came flying out of nowhere, smashing right into Turquoise. The red head's puppet went plummeting back to earth, getting buried three metres below the sand's surface. Sasori was dazed from the spontaneous attack, but it didn't end there. "ARMAGEDDON STAR!" The sand around the puppet began to shift more and more until Sasori abruptly flew up into the air along with the sand. Turquoise started to spin around the tornado, but Sasori was unaffected on the inside due to the two Permanent Wind Release Tags surrounding the inner core.

The red head had recovered his composure from the initial attack, and was sick of his puppet being tossed around like a rag doll. Some of the spikes had most likely been snapped off, and Sasori would have to repair them later. He thought fast on how to counter the sand tornado, and an idea came to mind. Sasori quickly removed his puppet strings from Turquoise and summoned Spit, deactivating the spinning puppet's wind release tag.

Spit stood still in the eye of the tornado until Sasori started to use his chakra threads to spin him in the opposite direction to which the storm was rotating. It took all ten fingers in order to reach such an impressive speed, and he had to repeatedly activate and deactivate the Wind Release Tag so that Spit didn't become too deeply buried in the unstable sand. After a few seconds, the tornado weakened and was cancelled out completely. Spit fell limp as Sasori redirected all of his strings back to Turquoise, closing his eyes in concentration. The puppet started tumbling to the ground, and Sasori began to spin the outer shell as fast as possible. As soon as Turquoise came in contact with the ground, it shot forward towards the detected enemy. Sasori easily recognised the chakra of his friend, Daichi.

As he steered straight for the Genin, both the inner shell and outer shell abruptly opened; Turquoise spontaneously halted and Sasori went flying out of the puppet. Daichi had not been expecting this, and before he could react, the red head had already grabbed onto him. Both went tumbling through the sand, instinctively clawing, punching and scratching at the other as they went. They stopped undulating with Daichi pinning Sasori to the icy sand below, both panting hard from exertion. The cold wind of the night blew against the fresh scratches that they now bore. The albino had three elongated claw marks across his face, while the red head had two scratches on his jaw and three just below his headband on the right side of his face, with a lot of his facial paint having come off. "Why?" Sasori was unbelievably enraged at how his friend was trying to kill him, and his cheek was stinging from where the boy had managed to hit him; oh great, now even males were starting to slap him!

"I need to be a Chunin." There was no insanity present in the albino's mutated pupils; "That's all I have in this world. I don't have looks, I don't have power, I don't have a family, and I don't have money. All I have is the title of Genin, but it isn't enough." While he was talking, Sasori had already begun to calculate a method of escaping Daichi's grip. "So I will become a Chunin, and then I'll eventually rise through the ranks until I become the best. I'll kill you and then I'll also get rid of Karura…You're the smartest of the three of us, so I figured that I would take you out first, because if I had killed Karura first, I would have lost the element of surprise. You would have killed me out of revenge anyway." It was all a lie, even Sasori could tell that Daichi had no intention of killing either of them, but the redhead could only hear the dribble that the albino was making up; and the voices of instinct inside of his head.

It was much easier to kill an enemy than a friend; Daichi knew this well.

"Shut up…" A tremor of rage ran through the red head's body; he wanted Daichi dead. He was no longer thinking rationally - the albino was his enemy. Daichi deserved to die. Sasori was overcome by an animalistic instinct which he couldn't control. An adrenaline rush coursed through his eight year old body, and he abruptly began to struggle again Daichi. The albino either was taken by surprise, or willingly chose to let him go. Sasori pushed the boy onto his back and mechanically drew a kunai knife from his weapons pouch. "SHUT UP!" Blood splattered across the red head's face as he stabbed the eight year old in the chest. It didn't stop there. Before Sasori knew what he was doing, he pulled the kunai out of the boy and stabbed him again. The red head began to knife Daichi repeatedly, unable to control his actions.

He was only stopped when a weak hand pressed against his cheek, smudging the red head's puppeteer face paint with blood. Sasori came back to his senses and gave a rasping sob. He dropped the kunai knife and grabbed onto Daichi's hand as he realised what he had done.

The albino was looking up at the male with his weak, mutated pupils. "Sasori…" The eight year old's eyes fluttered slightly as the albino fought to remain alive for a small while longer. "…I'm…" A line of blood trickled from his lips, and his voice gave away the excruciating pain that he was going through. Somehow, however, Daichi managed a final smile. "…I'm…Sorr-" His hand went limp in Sasori's palm and Daichi's eyes went abruptly dim, the mutated pupils suddenly vanishing. The red head would never again see the fascinating splodges of the frog-like eight year old's pupils.

Sasori's muddy brown eyes widened as his friend died and tears formed as he stared at the limp body. "…No…" The eight year old began to tremble. He grabbed onto his friend's corpse and pulled him to his chest. Blood seeped into Sasori's shirt, but he didn't even notice. "…No!" He had just killed one of the only three people in the world whom he cared for. Sasori had to do something…

-x-

The red head lay his dead friend on his work table and lit the lamp he had brought to his Den yesterday. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he had to do something, so Sasori had brought Daichi to his Den as it had been closer than the village. The red head tried healing the damage he had done when he had stabbed the boy multiple times, but it refused to repair itself. An impossible idea became embedded in Sasori's brain, and although he tried to push it away, the voice in his head only spoke louder the more he tried to kill it. _Turn him into a puppet. Marionettes live forever. Daichi doesn't have to die. He doesn't have to disappear._

Sasori shook his head, but the voice continued to pester him. "…" The red head began tearing off the eight year old's coat and shirt, tossing them carelessly and without thought. Daichi's chest was a bloody mess of flesh and blood. Sasori grabbed his sharp scalpel from his rack and pressed it against his throat. It easily sliced through Daichi's pale, bloody skin. Sasori placed the medical-knife back into the rack, and crawled onto the table for a much better view.

He dug his fingers into the wound and pulled the skin back to reveal Daichi's innards. The sight and the stink were horrendous, but Sasori had no time to be sickened by it. The eight year old dug his small hands inside of his friend and began pulling out organ after organ. Stomach, pancrease, intestines, kidneys, lungs, one after the other - all being dropped unceremoniously onto the floor.

He had to slip his hand under Daichi's ribcage in order to reach the once-beating heart. Sasori pulled it out and looked at it, the squishy thing still warm within his palms. He stared at the human organ which had once kept his friend alive and a wave of grief took over his body. Sasori began to shake violently as he started to experience a mental breakdown. Tremors racked his body and tears burned his eyes. Sasori gave a cry of agony as he couldn't take it any more; he felt just about ready to explode.

Tears fell from his eyes and he sobbed loudly, clutching the bloody heart of his dead friend close to his chest. The red head toppled backwards onto the ground, but he barely even noticed the pain or the fact that he had dropped the dead heart. Sasori rolled onto his stomach and crawled over to where he had discarded Daichi's black cloak which had just as many white stars on it as when the red head and the albino had first met. It was covered in blood, but by this time, so was Sasori.

The eight year old grabbed onto the coat and buried his face into it as he continued to scream out in lament. His head felt like it was going to split open due to the migraine that he was experiencing. Sasori could hear the voices of the dead chiding him for his actions; images of Daichi, Karura, Chiyo, Misaki, and even his parents buzzed about him. He could hear there voices so loudly, echoing through his den.

Sasori just couldn't stop crying, no matter how much he tried to stop. The voices kept echoing, the images kept materializing, his head kept throbbing and Sasori kept on wishing that he had never even been born. WHY HIM? WHY DID EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAPPEN TO HIM? Eventually the red head cried himself to sleep amongst the blood, organs, corpse and clothes.

-x-

The eight year old came to around lunch time the next day. His entire body ached, but Sasori's head was absolutely throbbing. He let go of the clothing he had been holding and stood up, rubbing his eyes; he knew perfectly well what had happened last night. Sasori walked over to where he knew the mirror to be and he made a few handsigns. "Chakra Release: Orb of Light." The ball of Chakra appeared and Sasori looked at himself in the mirror. His face, hands, arms and clothes were drowning in dried blood.

Sasori's eyes were swollen, red and bloodshot, while the Den was a complete mess - the feast had attracted insects such as cockroaches inside, and the genjutsu wall didn't work on them. Sasori's plant was currently eating insects which came too close, extending her leaves, grabbing bugs with them, and then shovelling them into her snapping mouth.

Sasori didn't feel anything.

He turned around and began picking up the partially eaten innards, dumping them all back into the body of his dead friend. Sasori pulled out a needle and thread which he used to generally sew clothes for his puppets such as Tyke and he began to sew up the gash he had made the night before. Unlike the rest of Daichi, the insects had not even touched his body, or else they would have been eaten by Asuko who also sat on the bench. Sasori had a lengthy task ahead of him.

First Human Puppet: Unsuccessful

-o-

_Of course_ it was a failure; I had a fucking _breakdown_ halfway through the conversion. I don't even know why I was so upset anymore; a Shinobi does not require friends…Maybe because Daichi was the very first person close to me that I had killed. They always do say that one's first kill is the hardest. Every other one after Daichi was oh so simple; I didn't even feel remotely sad when I killed Kurow…Though her death was more of an accident.

He would have made a very good Human Puppet, though; his eye technique would have been particularly valuable to possess in my arsenal if I had learnt how to activate it. But oh well, no use in complaining over decayed bodies.

Anyway, it took me a while to work out exactly how to convert humans into puppets, but none the less I eventually succeeded when I was twelve years old. I made so many human puppets in my life that it almost sickens me to think that I had somehow managed to screw up my very first procedure. How could I have not known? Oh, what an innocent, naïve, _stupid _runt I once was.

-o-

It was dark by the time Sasori had dug a deep hole using Spit; it was located reasonably close to Sunagakure's graveyard. In the red head's arms was his dead friend with his skin a slightly more sickly pale colouration than what it had been in life. Sasori was still covered in dry blood, but he didn't even bother to wash it off - some things were simply less important than others. The red head placed Daichi's body into the hole, giving one last look at his friend; his face was still scratched but covered with little blood - the rest of him was a different story.

Daichi's clothes were covered in his own blood, though his sewn up chest was hidden beneath the albino's shirt. Dried red stains was tangled in the albino's snow white hair while the light from the full moon reflected off of the Sunagakure headband which Daichi still wore about his neck. The star on his forehead was as dull as death. Sasori went onto his knees and began to refill the grave by hand. Around Sasori's right wrist was Daichi's bracelet which he had offered the red head only a few days ago. The intricate designs sparkled in the moonlight, too precious to be buried with the bracelet's owner. In the centre of the pattern sat the silver scorpion, now and forever in the possession of Sasori. The Scorpion was a symbol of defence, calm and self protection.

Afterwards, he took out his kunai knife which was coated in dry blood as well, and dug two words into the cliff face above Daichi's grave; 'A Friend'.

-x-

Sasori came home cold and starving. Chiyo was still awake, and she looked up once she saw the red head enter the room; the woman had obviously been waiting for him. "Sasori…" Chiyo stood from the chair, walking over to the red head, not appearing the least bit fazed by the fact that her grandson was completely covered in somebody else's blood or by the aloof look in his now cold eyes. Chiyo pulled the stoically traumatized eight year old into a hug, gently rubbing his tangled tresses tenderly. Sasori didn't bother to hug the woman back; he just let himself be held by the person that had raised him. "…I'm so proud of you."


	7. Sasori vs Karura

As White as Blood

Chapter Seven

Sasori vs. Karura

Karura abruptly pulled her red headed best friend into a hug at the first sight of him, "SASORI! I WAS SO WORRIED! No one has seen you or Daichi, and I was hell worried!" She laughed and continued to squeeze her best friend for a while longer; Sasori just let her, but he did not bother to hug the girl back. Eventually she pulled away and smiled up at him, "So where's Daichi?" Sasori simply gave her a cold gaze, keeping his mouth shut and his eyes unblinking. Karura noticed the five scratches on the red head's face, and she suddenly froze in horror. "…You…" The blonde couldn't finish the sentence.

"He attacked me first." Sasori finally blinked his muddy eyes in what could be a mix of boredom and irritation, "I had no choice…" He lifted up his arm, revealing the scorpion bracelet on his wrist.

"Well, well, well," both eight year olds turned around to see their Sensei standing behind them, "such a shame~" Misaki gave a sarcastic sigh, "And Daichi was my favourite of the three of you as well…" She shot Sasori a loathing look, smirking at the expressionless red head. "A wimp like you managed to kill him? Oh well, I guess beggars can't be choosers~" She straightened up and gave an ever so slight shrug, "So then, I wonder which one of you two will become a Chunin, and which one will die."

"I won't kill Sasori!" Karura looked to the quiet red head, "And he won't kill me." The blonde waited for an approval from the eight year old, a confirmation that what she said was true, but Sasori simply remained silent, staring bitterly at Misaki.

"See?" The woman gave a loud, somewhat insane, laugh, clapping her hands together; "Just accept it! He will kill you the moment you turn your back!"

"…Fine then." Karura straightened up rather fiercely, a determined expression taking control of her countenance. She pivoted on her heels to face her best friend, "You." A sinister grin broke out on her lips; "We're going to have a fight to the death~" There was no insanity present in the blonde girl's eyes, just the same old enthusiastic glint, and Sasori gave a slow nod in agreement.

-x-

Sasori and Karura stood in the middle of the desert, a long way away from not only their village but civilisation in general. The hot wind whipped their hair as they had a stand off, both calculating their battle strategies before the fight even began. Sasori was mentally going over his puppet arsenal; Turquoise had some spikes missing and Sasori had not had a chance to repair the puppet after the bout with Daichi, but it was operational. Spit had a bit of sand stuck in its left arm and right knee joints, but was still perfectly useable aside from those limbs. Cephalo was in good condition, as was Tyke, but the small child puppet wouldn't work on Karura since she already knew of Tyke's deception.

The real problem was that Karura knew all of his puppets, while the red head did not know what exactly the blonde's fan was capable of. But then again there was Sasori's trump card…The red head's latest addition to his collection which he had yet to use in combat…It wasn't completely finished, but Karura had not seen the marionette yet, giving him an advantage…

"I won't bother going easy on you, Sasori." Karura flicked her fan open to reveal two of the three full purple paper moons while giving a smirk, "So I'm not going to give you the first move." She immediately waved the weapon, powerful gusts of slicing wind launching at the red head with only half murderous intent.

Sasori quickly summoned Turquoise, receding into the puppet's inner shell in order to avoid the attack. The wind hit the outer shell, causing it to roll for a few metres, but it did not affect the inside where the red head lurked. Sasori placed his hands against the wooden shell and pushed chakra stings into the puppet, rolling it against the fierce winds and towards Karura. The blonde waved her fan two more times but the outer shell was buffeted only slightly and the inner core even less. As soon as the wind stopped coming, Sasori stopped the puppet and opened the outer shell in order to watch what Karura's next move would be through the eyehole.

"Hmph, you are going easy on me Sasori!" She flicked her fan to reveal the last purple moon for the first time, "Fine then; I'll use my new technique!" The blonde brought her right hand to her mouth and bit her thumb hard. Blood dribbled leisurely down her lip, gleaming red and sun stricken in the scorching light. She moved her thumb to the open fan, sliding a long blood trail down the open material of her weapon, "Don't you know, Sasori?" Karura gave the red head a sharp toothed grin, a look of almost lunacy on her face. "You should sharpen your sickle at sunset! Summoning: Blade Dance!"

A weasel appeared at Karura's feet, its mouth currently occupied with an enormous sickle which was almost larger than its body. The weasel had light grey fur and it wore a traditional shirt which hugged its body. The shirt was black and red, tied together down the back with golden thread. Both of its eyes had black, concentrated pupils, and slight whiskers protruded from the weasel's snout.

"Go, Kamatari!" The creature gave a snarling noise at the back of its throat and Karura waved her fan with all her strength. Kamatari leapt into the air, riding the wind towards Sasori. He quickly shut the outer shell of Turquoise, guiding the puppet to try and avoid the attack. Unfortunately, there was no escape. Numeral objects clanked damagingly at Turquoise's shell, before a tornado suddenly formed around them. Sasori was trapped inside a twister for the second time within the past two days. He was about to summon Spit in order to reverse the effects of it, as he had done when Daichi had tried the same move, but suddenly stopped. He could sense the summoning creature as it landed on Karura's Giant Folding Fan, "Finish him off!"

She swung the fan once more and Kamatari became airborne again, beginning to do midair front flips towards the tornado. Sasori cursed and braced himself for the awe-inspiring move he knew would come, pressing himself tightly against the right side of the puppet. Kamatari reached the tornado, and then did one last frontal flip, slicing the hurricane clean in two before jumping once again in front of Karura. A few seconds passed, and then Turquoise abruptly revealed the serious degree of the move. The puppet had been cleanly sliced in half, as Sasori would have been had he not taken the initiative and moved to the side. The four free parts fell away, and Sasori began to fall towards the earth with them. He would hit the ground in a few seconds, so he had to act quickly; Sasori swiftly summoned his drilling puppet, Spit, with its weapons pressed securely against its body. He used chakra stings to pull it close to him, and he wrapped his arms around it as tightly as possible. Sasori took in a bulky breath, as he began to spin the drill, almost making himself nauseous with the spinning motion. A few seconds later, the red head and his puppet went plummeting deep into the sand.

Karura looked around, only seeing the four broken sections of Sasori's puppet, Turquoise. Everything was quiet; a bit too quiet… Something massive suddenly lashed out of the sand in front of Karura and Kamatari. Whatever it was, it jabbed into the weasel's left eye, causing the creature to give a painful cry, dropping the scythe's handle from its jaws. Before Karura could react, Kamatari already disappeared in a puff of smoke to its own world once more, now with a broken left eye. The thing slipped back beneath the sand, and Karura quickly began looking around for her unseen enemy. She gave a sharp intake of breath and acted quickly once the idea struck her. The blonde waved her fan down at the sand at her feet and she went flying up into the air - but not erratically – with the sand parting to reveal her enemy.

Within the series of parted grains was a giant scorpion, probably twice the size of a kitchen table; it had been painted the same colour as the sand, and along it's back ran a line of spines. The tail of it - which had stabbed Kamatari in the eye prior - waved threateningly as it waited for Karura to fall into its clutches. Its two giant front claws clicked open and shut ominously, the puppet's burning amber eyes staring up forebodingly at its prey.

Karura gave a growl, frustrated by the on going battle; "Wind Release: Twirling Lilly." She waved her fan, and instead of wind falling down, it steadily brought the girl upwards. Karura had the nerve to stick her tongue out at the red head who sat within the shut scorpion puppet. He raised an eyebrow at her, and actually gave a smirk; Sasori was beginning to enjoy this battle. It was just the thing to save him from his traumatised state. "Can't catch me, can you?" Karura gave a loud laugh as she rose ever higher.

"We'll see about that…" Sasori bent the puppet's legs and sent chakra through his strings; after a few seconds, the red head released the building pressure and the scorpion went flying up into the air. Karura quickly tried to evade the marionette, but it was too late for her. Sasori's puppet's tail wrapped around the girl, and they all went crashing back down to the ground. Karura groaned of pain as her head hit the heavy sand and Sasori opened the hatch of his puppet. The red head stepped out of the marionette, and he walked along the tail to where Karura was still clutched within it, "Looks like I won the game."

The blonde girl gave a slight laugh and actually smiled up at him, "Cool new puppet," Karura had a look of slight psychosis in her eyes, mixed with the ever present enthusiasm, "what's it called?" Sasori sat down on the tail cross-legged, giving both a slight hum and a shrug in thought.

"I haven't thought of a name yet…" The red head smirked and gave yet another shrug, drawing a kunai knife from his weapons pouch. "What do you think I should call him? I feel that 'Scorpion' is too cliché."

"Absolutely," She gave a thoughtful expression as she sought for a name, "what about Scorpio?" Sasori shrugged again and twirled the kunai on one finger, obviously with ultimate hostile intent, "Hmmm, I guess that is also pretty expected…What about 'Roan'?"

The red head caught the handle of the knife in his palm, giving a thoughtful expression as he pondered the name, "…I like it…Fine then; I'll call him Roan." Sasori smirked once again at nothing in particular, "Yeah, I like it a lot…" He slowly put his hands into his lap and gazed downwards at the body of the large puppet reminiscently. "I started making him after you and Daichi complained about Turquoise being too cramped…" Sasori looked over to the remains of his capture puppet, frowning slightly at the quarters, "…"

"Sorry about recking Turquoise, Sasori, I haven't ever used Kamatari in battle before…" Karura blinked in what could be surprise, "I hope that you'll be able to fix him."

"It'll take some time, and I'll need some new parts, but I should be able to fix the damage. He's just been sliced; if he had been smashed to bits, then that would be a different story…" He shrugged and waved his fingers, making Roan's scorpion tail let go of Karura. Sasori just could not bring himself to kill her. She stood up off of the sand, dusting her clothes lightly before sitting down on the puppet next to Sasori.

"So how are we going to become Chunin?" The blonde girl sighed with slight frustration, leaning her head against her best friend's shoulder.

"We're looking at this the wrong way…" Sasori frowned in thought, leaning his head against Karura's blonde hair, "They want to create the strongest teams by making the strongest Genin kill the weakest…But what if we are both stronger than the Chunin they wish to pair us with…"

"Yeah…" Karura gave a frown, "That's the flaw in setting team-mate against team-mate. They get the strongest Genin of each team, but over all they don't get the best Genin possible."

"So…" Sasori gave yet another smirk and a small flash of insanity appeared in both the eight year old's eyes as the red head spoke their plan aloud, "We slaughter the competition."

-o-

I just couldn't kill my best friend back then, but now I wish that I had. It would have been better to give her a swift, humane death, rather than the torture that she must have endured when she was older. I wonder which choice Karura would have preferred; to be killed by her best friend at the age of eight, or by her own newborn son at the age of twenty…

-o-

Eleven Years of Age

Sasori and Karura had both become Chunin at the age of eight years old by following their plan. Misaki Sensei had been particularly irked off by the fact that Sasori had survived, but the redhead only found satisfaction in the act of pissing off the woman he hated. He had long since repaired his collection of puppets, and he had made a few additions.

Sasori had been focusing a lot on the human anatomy and on medical ninjutsu. He had also begun to… 'Borrow' secret scrolls from the Third Kazekage's library using small puppets he had created called 'Rats'. They were perfect for slipping past the imperfect defences unspotted. He could control five at a time, two fingers per puppet and they looked like small, tailless rats, even going as far as to be covered in coats of real rat fur. Sasori had skinned the creatures himself in an experiment of trying to turn rats into puppets; he had succeeded.

His team was still led by Misaki Sensei, and was compiled of Sasori, Karura, and oddly her twin brother, Yashamaru. The blond was not as strong or as good at Jutsu as his sister was, but he was smarter than her…Not as intelligent as Sasori, of course, but he was probably a four out of five for brains.

It was an odd story, as he had only just become a Genin when Sasori and Karura were eleven. No matter who had been placed into the team of Sasori and Karura, the red head had had a habit of killing new members due to an almost fear of becoming close to them. He did not want a repetition of the mental breakdown which had occurred when he had killed Daichi. So after four unnecessary deaths over a course of three years, the village made an actual _smart_ decision and assigned Yashamaru to the group, not even bothering to let him go through the same process which Sasori and Karura had had to go through in order to become Chunin. So that meant technically, he was still a Genin.

That was how Team Three had died, and Team Blooming Storm was born.

Sasori still wore the same face paint that he had worn before, except he had added a dark red horizontal and vertical line across his face. His sleeveless vest had been replaced by the official beige Sunagakure Flak Jacket which had added leather shoulder guards, padding and also a neck guard. There were more pockets as well which were used to hold summoning scrolls for his puppets. The two large scrolls he had once worn on his lower back had been replaced by a large light brown medical pouch. The eleven year old still wore black pants, Sunagakure shoes, a fishnet shirt beneath his flak jacket, his weapons pouch on his right leg and he also still wore his Sunagakure headband on his forehead. He didn't smile that much any more, choosing to wear either a stoic expression or a sly smirk.

Karura also now wore the official beige Sunagakure Flak Jacket, a pair of white pants and the regular Sunagakure sandals. She still wore a fishnet shirt, her weapons pouch, and her closed fan was still attached to her back. The blonde's hair was slightly longer, almost reaching her shoulders, but the length was still acceptable by Sunagakure standards. She had moved her Shinobi headband to her upper right shoulder and her dark teal eyes still shone with the same enthusiasm, with an added slight lunacy.

Yashamaru wore a jacket similar to the one which Sasori had worn as a Genin with black pants and a long sleeved black shirt. The eleven year old wore his Sunagakure headband on his forehead and Yashamaru had the same dark teal eyes as his twin sister, except lacking the same enthusiasm and the touch of madness. His hair was only slightly shorter, and he appeared rather effeminate, usually smiling contently, even if half the time his smile was false. Sasori was particularly neutral with the blond male; he didn't like him and at the same time he no longer hated him. Yashamaru was extremely loyal to his sister, and probably would not even hesitate to give up his life in order to save Karura.

Generally, they worked well as a team. The Second Shinobi World War had finished when they were nine and a half and Sunagakure was currently experiencing an irritating peace.

-x-

Sasori sat at his workbench, reading with the help of the lamp light. He had taken the scroll two days ago, and it was about failed experiments of Sunagakure's past, wherein they tried to retain one's Jutsu even after death. The methods tested were interesting, such as one experiment which had been led by Sunagakure's Puppet Brigade. Sasori read with interest at the attempt which was particularly similar to the idea he had thought up when he had seen Daichi's body lying on his workbench. The Puppet Brigade had firstly taken out the subject's entrails and drained the body of all their blood. At first the puppets had been successful, but over time they had decayed; before they were able to redo the experiment, the research was scrapped as unethical.

Apparently it had 'devalued' the worth of human life.

Sasori gave a gentle hum and moved his hand over to his beloved plant, Asuko. She had grown somewhat; the bulb of her head now reached the size of a fist. Her leaf stems had grown significantly as well, and she was now able to reach bugs which were as far away as in the middle of the Den. Asuko's poison had also developed, but Sasori had created an antidote for it which was long lasting. Hopefully he would only need to have one shot in his entire life in order to be safe from his plant.

She possessed three large green leaves which were covered in poisonous spores that took about twenty seconds to kill an insect, and an unknown amount of time to kill a human. Sasori gently stroked the plant's head as he ideated lightly. Asuko's bulb was pure red with a black splodge on one side. Her mouth was full of sharp, yellow teeth which could give a very bad bite if she ever wanted to.

As the red head caressed his pet, the deadly plant gave a content purring noise, nuzzling her bulb into her master's palm. "So they were successful, except over time the puppets began to decay…Maybe some preservatives could fix that…Probably a preservative with a copper, chromium, petroleum or borate based chemical compound…Or even an arsenic based preservative…" Asuko continued to pur as he continued to pet her, "Maybe…But do I really want to turn people into Human Puppets…?" Sasori looked to his plant, raising an eyebrow at her, "What do you think, Asuko?" The flytrap twitched its lip and gave an almost intelligent squeak, "I should?" The red head gave a slight hum, remembering the reason why he had wanted to turn Daichi into a puppet only three years ago. He looked around the Den, gazing at the blood stain which represented the spot where he had lain when he had had a break down; "Humans are fleeting, but puppets live for an Eternity…An Eternity is the definition of True Art…" Sasori gave an almost sadistic smirk, "And I'm an Artist."


	8. Iron Maiden

As White as Blood

Chapter Eight

Iron Maiden

Sasori, Karura and Yashamaru were currently on a B-Rank mission; they had to eliminate a group of rogues who had been terrorizing a village within the Land of Birds. The country was located between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, and it took about two days to get to by foot. Fortunately, they didn't walk there, and it only took a third of a day to reach the end of the desert thanks to Sasori's large puppet, Roan. The scorpion was spacious enough for the three of them (Misaki Sensei chose to run along side them), and though he wasn't as fast as Turquoise, he was still not a puppet that would be taken lightly if an enemy were to appear. Fortunately they did not meet any on the trail there.

Once they reached the spontaneous line of trees, Sasori halted the puppet and opened the hatch, all three Shinobi stepping out of it. As they did so, Sasori pulled out two scrolls from separate jacket pockets, sealing Roan away inside of one, and summoning one of his best puppets with the other. Sasori gracefully rolled up and slipped both scrolls away, back into their correct pockets. Unlike the two large scrolls he used to have, the smaller versions were not automatic, and he would have to take them out in order to summon puppets from them. They waited quietly for the Jonin to catch up and soon Misaki Sensei appeared, giving a sigh. "So," she clapped her hand together childishly, "is this how we are going to get to the village?"

"Yeah; Phoenix is more than reliable…" The puppet that they were alluding to was a giant bird, slightly bigger than what Roan was. Phoenix appeared to be a regular large bird, except for the colourations which it bore; the base of the puppet was painted blue, matching the sky so that when airborne it would go unnoticed by those on the ground. The top however was a different story; the puppet was painted vibrant colours such as red and yellow, while in the middle of its back was a huge print of Sasori's puppet maker symbol of a red scorpion on a white background. The red head had printed the symbol onto almost all of his puppets…Well, excluding his Mother and Father failure puppets. Even Tyke had the symbol as a tattoo on his left arm underneath the robe that the puppet wore. Phoenix had fire jets installed in her beak and one in the centre of each foot, living up to her name, "We'll all be able to ride her."

"She is really pretty!" Karura began to curiously examine the puppet, her eyes wide with both interest and enthusiasm. Yashamaru simply rolled his eyes, being the only sane one in the entire group. Well of course he still had his mind; Yashamaru had not yet been forced to kill someone close to him. That was why he found it odd that his sister and Sasori practically believed that the puppets were alive, going as far as to specify gender for each wooden creation. "How high should we take her?"

"Well, we don't want to take her too high, as the air becomes thinner the further up we go…But we don't want to have Phoenix flying too low either, or else the blue underside disguise wouldn't be much of a successful camouflaging technique…" Sasori stared thoughtfully at the puppet for a few seconds before shrugging and climbing onboard. "I'll decide once we are airborne…" He gave a smirk and the red head settled upon his creation, narrowing his eyes slightly as the sun shone upon his face. Sasori made a cross with his arms pressed against his chest, attaching one chakra string to each wing through his index fingers. The red head's left index finger was connected by a chakra string to the puppet's right wing, and vice versa. "Come on, she won't bite unless I make her; climb aboard."

Karura scaled her way onto the large puppet's back, sitting down behind Sasori, and Yashamaru followed loyally behind his sister, settling down after Karura. Misaki gave a harsh sigh of defeat before she also jumped up onto the bird's back, sitting down cross-legged.

The red head began to routinely flick his index fingers up and down, causing Phoenix to start flapping her wings in time with Sasori's commands. Eventually the puppet began to lift upwards, hovering off of the leaf littered land. "Here we go; hold on tight." Sasori put his feet into the two slots, pressing the top part against the wooden bar so as to not go flying out. Karura wrapped her arms around the red head's waist, while Yashamaru in turn held on tightly to his sister. Misaki placed her palms flat on the bird's back, sending chakra to her hands in order to remain attached. Phoenix abruptly shot through the air, sending waves of energy shooting through all four of them. Sasori pulled his feet tightly against the foot bars in order to remain where he sat, and Karura's grip tightened to the point where the red head was in pain. The quick burst got them into the air, and Sasori stretched the bird's wings, slowing it down dramatically. He began to flap the wings once more so that the puppet remained airborne, giving a slight, pained groan, "Okay, the worst is over; you can let go of me now."

Sasori looked over his shoulder at Karura's expression. By the sinister grin plastered there, the redhead could tell that she had some snide comment planned. Luckily - since it would be highly inappropriate whilst being on a B-Rank mission - she seemed to keep the statement to herself. Karura let go of his waist, allowing Sasori the right to his lungs once more, Yashamaru released his grip on his sister, and Misaki simply folded her arms, giving a huff. "Judging by the speed we are going at, it'll take roughly two hours."

"Phoenix can make it in one." Sasori mechanically began to flick his index fingers faster, and Misaki rolled her eyes while she gave a groan, met with a slight 'Of course' beneath her breath.

-x-

"Wow, this place is so pretty!" Karura was looking down at the foliage of the land that spread out beneath them. Not too far to their left sat a huge, sparkling lake full of many different birds. "That's why it is called the Land of Birds, right? Because of all the birds which migrate here?"

"Yeah; that lake there is called Wataridori Lake, and the capital sits right next to it. The nation is rather impoverished and shares placement with Ishigakure. There is no elite army, and they don't even have any Shinobi. The leader is the Daimyo, Owashi, and one of his twin children is expected to become the next Daimyo after his death, most likely the boy." Sasori continued to mechanically control the marionette while he spoke, the Puppet Master Jutsu having become second nature to him due to his never ending practise. "Currently the capital is over run by a group of rogues who have imprisoned Owashi - plus his twins Sagi and Toki - inside of the palace. They're located within the Daimyo Compound, so we'll have to find a way inside before we can do much damage."

"Okay," Misaki looked over the side of the bird, "that there is the village; land in that clearing to the right of us and we'll walk the rest of the way." Sasori nodded and began to guide the bird to the small glade his Sensei had decided upon. After a minute of careful steering and meticulous manoeuvring, Phoenix landed soundly in the clearing. Misaki stood up and jumped off of the puppet, as did the other Shinobi, all appearing quite happy to once again be on solid land. Sasori rolled his eyes half heartedly and pulled out a scroll, resealing his bird puppet, Phoenix, inside of it.

"Okay then, let's go." The red head put the scroll back into one of his pockets, "It was in that direction, right?" He pointed to the east.

Karura nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, but it would be best to devise a plan for getting into the Daimyo's Compound first." They all agreed and sat down within the clearing, forming a circle of Shinobi.

-x-

The group of four strangers walked down the quiet streets of the village. A few weary denizens looked up at the new comers, but lost interest soon enough. The group was made up of a tall woman, one girl with three long blonde piggy-tails, a boy with black hair in a ponytail, and finally another boy but with short white hair. Behind them a large lizard wearing a black cape lugged a caravan along the dirt path. They appeared to just be a group of merchants or travellers looking for a place to stay. The Transformation Jutsu kept the four Sunagakure Shinobi remaining covert.

They crossed a bridge over a small canal of water, moving towards the middle of the village. The group of rogues they were after were supposed to reside in the very centre, within the Daimyo's home. Owashi, the Daimyo of the Land of Birds, and the man's twin children were imprisoned inside of the shrine. One of the temple workers had managed to escape at the cost of her brother risking his life to save the woman. The priestess had become lost in the desert, but had luckily been found by a group of Sunagakure ANBU. Once they brought her to Suna, she had requested the mission to save her home, promising to pay the money after the job was complete.

They crossed one last bridge and continued forward, stopping once they reached the guarded entrance of the temple. Two rogues stood at the gateway, both having straightened up once they saw the group that had approached. "Oi, what'sa bunch o' you's doin' 'ere, 'nyway? We now rule th's 'ere land." The bandit spoke with a slurring accent, and was clearly missing half of his teeth. Both of them held szabla and sleeveless chain mail which only protected the torso area; too easy.

The white haired boy made short work of them both with a quick senbon to the neck of each guard. They both dropped to the ground like flies, dead without ever uttering a single sound. "So," the albino's voice was a whisper, "attack formation B?" The other three nodded and the henge was abruptly dropped. The albino turned into Sasori, and the other three transformed into the rest of Team Blooming Storm. The red head unclipped the puppet which had been leading the caravan that he had 'borrowed' from a random merchant and pulled the robe off of it. His puppet, Salamander, was revealed from beneath it. He had constructed the marionette just after the war had finished, and it was the first of a series of three puppets.

Salamander had been based on the people of Amegakure, and how they had been under the leadership of 'Hanzo of the Salamander'. It was a quiet allegorical mockery towards the people of the Village Hidden in the Rain. Salamander - just like the other two puppets of the series - had three eyes and it also bore a defensive mask on its back which was meant to resemble a demonic version of Hanzo. Even though the war was over, Sasori still hated Amegakure and its denizens, along with all the other nations that had fought against Sunagakure.

Misaki looked around quickly before gazing back to her team. "Okay," she whispered, "kill all bandits, keep civilian casualties to a minimum, and make sure that the Daimyo and his family are not killed." They all nodded and she gave the signal for them to move out.

Sasori immediately controlled the puppet Salamander to smash into the doors. They broke down without much resistance and the Shinobi ran inside of the compound. Immediately the group was met with the presence of four other rogues but this time they did not bear any armour whatsoever. Sasori opened up Salamander's jaws and activated the flamethrower inside of the puppet's throat. Two of the bandits were immediately burnt to a crisp, but the others escaped only slightly singed. Yashamaru bit down on his left thumb and drew a slicing line of blood across the digits of his right hand in one swift motion. The Genin placed his palm flat on the ground and ink seals suddenly sprawled on the cobblestones, "Summoning!"

There was a puff of smoke in front of the group, and when it had cleared it was revealed that there had appeared a total of two large coyotes. The creatures had fur the same colour as the Suna sand, and both wore silver armour over their backs. On their heads were differentiated helmets, one possessing spikes jabbing upwards while the other coyote's helmet had longer points which ran downwards. Both head armours bore the Sunagakure symbol boldly and proudly. Yashamaru gave a high pitched whistle and the coyotes simultaneously lunged at one of the two rogues. They began to viciously rip apart the screaming man with their teeth and claws, ignoring his cries for mercy.

The other rogue made a move to run, but Misaki Sensei was faster. She drew the golden staff from her back and activated the chakra seals on the blade which sat at the bottom of the sword. The Jonin jumped into the air and swung the sword downwards, neatly slicing the bandit in half with one smooth motion. Blood splayed in all directions as the two halves which had once been a human fell to the ground. The chakra on the blade of Misaki's Golden Thunder Staff dispelled all blood from the weapon and its wielder. "Okay then, Sasori and Yashamaru go that way, Karura, you'll be with me." They all nodded, the two males moving to the right and the two females heading to the left.

The redhead left Salamander where he was, deciding that the puppet was too large to go any further. Instead, Sasori pulled two scrolls out of his flak jacket and activated them, summoning the other two puppets from the series of three. He replaced the now empty scrolls into his pockets and continued to run, both puppets following at his sides.

The first of the two was a marionette called Crow; it was a humanoid puppet with three eyes, four arms, jagged teeth and wild, spiky, brown hair. The puppet was deceiving, holding lots of hidden weapons, and its head looked quite similar to his other puppet Spit; all of its parts were detachable, and each was deadly. Crow was designed to be a mockery to those whom were born or resided in the village of Konohagakure.

The last of the series was another puppet, similar to Crow, which was called Black Ant. The puppet had a bucket shaped head bearing three eyes, two long red horns, flat brown hair and a large jaw. It had six arms total, and underneath the cloak it wore, its body was a snare. Each part of the puppet was detachable and deadly, just like Crow. Black Ant was made to ridicule those whom lived in the nation of Iwagakure.

Both puppets may have looked stupid and weird, but they were extremely dangerous.

Sasori and Yashamaru continued to run through the compound, soon running into a pair of rogues. The blond gave another whistle and the coyotes began to attack one of the rogues, carefully avoiding the man's cutlass. Sasori used Crow to kill the other attacker, disembodying three of the puppet's wrists, revealing three sharp blades from within. Sasori flung the weapons at the bandit, succeeding in stabbing him multiple times, once in the gut, once in the neck and also in the chest. The man gave a choked noise before dropping down; dead. Both Shinobi continued onwards, killing each bandit which came there way and eventually they had circled half of the compound, abruptly running into Karura and Misaki. "How many?"

"There were nine bandits the way we went." Karura replied by saying that there had been eleven for them; "But we still need to check out the main building for the Daimyo and his children." They looked up at the large structure which dawned before them, giving frowns at the thought of having to go inside the pretty building. A scarlet ibis sat sophisticatedly on the roof, unaware of the Shinobi which were below or its eventual fate. "Let's go."

They all nodded and entered the building, finding that the first room was empty of any enemies, but there were four separate doors. "Split up; go!" Each group member went into a separate door, Sasori going through the second on the right with his two puppets trailing behind him.

For Sasori, the next room was also empty with just a large double door. Sasori ran through it, into another room, though unlike the previous one, it wasn't empty. Misaki Sensei was already there, currently in combat with four rogue guards concurrently. Two more were already flat on the ground, both sliced cleanly in half. Another dropped to the floor with yet another swing from Misaki's staff, and she noticed Sasori's sudden presence, giving a small sneer, somewhat deciding to kick the fighting up a notch. She threw her staff up into the air and made several quick hand signs; "Lightening and Wind Release: Twirling Lightning Storm." There was boom of thunder through out the air, and the staff fell back down. Misaki grabbed onto it before it could hit the ground and she began to spin the weapon ferociously. "Sasori; stay where you are." The red head didn't nod, instantly following her orders, standing absolutely still; when Misaki Sensei said stay, she meant stay as still as a statue. The eleven year old focused on keeping his puppets from moving as well before Sasori closed his eyes, knowing exactly what Misaki Sensei was going to do to her enemies. She continued to twirl her staff when suddenly there was a burst of light against the red head's eyelids and a crackle in the air. The stench of burnt flesh was now intense in the oxygen of the room, and the redhead knew that it was safe to open his eyes.

The charred bodies of the bandits lay on the floor, all dead, and subtle lightening crackled lightly off of the staff, but was fading by the millisecond. Sasori and his Sensei shared a silent look, before facing the final large door. They both ran in unison towards it, barging into the main room of the building.

The Daimyo of the Land of Birds sat tied to a chair in the middle of the room and to the left, one of children sat alone in a tiny cage. Sasori and Misaki looked around the room until their eyes landed on the other figure. There stood a tall man with dark blue hair which was slicked to the right; he wore a Takigakure headband, the symbol slashed out poorly with three diagonal lines. The man was grinning widely at the two Sunagakure Shinobi; in his arms he held Owashi's other twin, cradling the child against him, the poor youngster appearing to be terrified. "Why hello there~"

"Let go of the kid," Misaki held up the blade of her staff at the man threateningly. "If you do, then we will give you a swift, painless death."

The man gave a rumbling chuckle, bouncing the child lightly in his arms while cruelly smirking, "Oh you _wish_." He gave a sigh and ruffled the child's hair. "So you are on a killing spree, right? But oh, I know you Shinobi; you would not dare risk this child's life." He grinned at them, a definite knowing gleam in his eyes.

"You don't know of the training we go through in Sunagakure." Sasori raised an eyebrow at the man, tilting his head slightly. He brought his hands up and the two puppets twitched at his sides; the leader of the rogues blinked, taken slightly aback by the hidden murderous intent.

He gave a nervous smirk, looking at Sasori's puppets for a few seconds. "You're bluffing...You wouldn't dare to risk the life of this kid..."

"You assume wrong." In one swift movement, the red head's two puppets flew at the man. He instinctively let go of the child, putting his hands up to protect himself from any blow. Unfortunately for the man, that was not what the red head had in mind. Crow swooped down and plucked the child from the air before it hit the ground, zooming over to Misaki. Black Ant's cloak suddenly parted as it opened the large barrel which was its body and the rogue was abruptly swallowed up by the marionette's bulk, the puppet settling on the floor and quickly closing its hatches. The man banged on the wood, crying pleas of surrender.

Crow dumped the Daimyo's child into Misaki's arms before flying back into the air. Sasori shot his Sensei a look for a few seconds, waiting for the go ahead and Misaki gave him an ominous grin in reply, so the red head turned back at his victim. A cruel, sadistic smirk curved the eleven year olds face, a maniacal gleam in his eyes, and he tugged on Crow's chakra threads. The puppet's limbs came apart, including head, legs and arms, revealing the sharp blades protruding from the base of each appendage.

The helpless prey continued to cry for mercy, but his pleas fell onto death, heartless ears as Sasori's eyes filled with a new blood lust at the prospect of one of his cruellest puppet shows being performed. "Secret Red Technique: Iron Maiden."


	9. Wounds to the Heart

As White as Blood

Chapter Nine

Wounds to the Heart

"Secret Red Technique: Iron Maiden." As soon as the words were uttered, the room seemed to drop slightly in temperature. For a few seconds it felt as if time had completely stopped, and then it flew by in a flash. The blades of Crow were flung at Black Ant, grotesquely sliding into slits of the barrel with the sickening sound of puncturing flesh. The man gave one last bloodcurdling scream of suffering which lasted for only several seconds before it was cut off with his death. Blood dribbled out of the base of the barrel, slowly and sluggishly. At that point, Karura and Yashamaru had reached the room, gazing around to evaluate the situation, before they both appeared to physically relax. "Mission accomplished."

Karura nodded and immediately ran towards the cage to free the child that was locked inside of it. Misaki walked over to the other blond, handing the twin to him, as if the innocence of the creature burnt her skin. Yashamaru took the child and cradled it rather tenderly as the Jonin ran over to Owashi, reattaching her staff to her back. She pulled out a kunai from the weapons pouch that she wore on her leg, setting to work on cutting the ropes which restricted him. Sasori pulled the segments of Crow from Black Ant, replacing the bloodied parts back into the main body of Crow. He mumbled slightly in distaste - at the prospect of having to go through the hassle of cleaning the blood from the blades - before Sasori looked around the room.

Owashi stood up from the chair, free from his bindings and the Daimyo was quick to thank Misaki Sensei. Sasori looked over at Yashamaru and Karura, where they stood smiling; in the arms of the twins was the other set of twins. The red head was momentarily baffled at the oddly symmetrical sight, shaking his head before he looked back to Black Ant, walking over to the puppet. Sasori stopped one metre away from it and reattached chakra strings to the hatches, opening the large barrel. The corpse of the rogue toppled out, complete with disfigured flesh and with the face grotesquely distorted in agony.

The red head unprofessionally poked the bloody body with his toe, nudging it sickeningly with little interest. He gave a hum and pulled out the two scrolls from prior, sealing both Black Ant and Crow inside of them. Sasori put them away and walked over to the two sets of twins. "Awww, they are so cute!" Karura laughed and looked to see the red head, giving him a grin, "Look Sasori, aren't babies adorable?" She laughed and forced the child she carried into the red head's arms. Sasori blinked and looked down at the annoying thing; it looked back up at him inquisitively and made a move to tug on the red head's hair. The eleven year old growled and forced the child's hand back down. "Awww, don't you want our children to be like that?"

Sasori looked at the blonde girl, raising an eyebrow at his best friend in surprise. "Huh?" The red head had actually never thought about what would happen in the future; he didn't dream about falling in love, getting married, having children, or anything as such. Sasori was a Shinobi; he could die any day, what was the use in harming others because of his death? The red head did not wish what he had experienced to be forced unto others - the pain inflicted upon him by his parent's abrupt death when he had been only five years old. Unfortunately, he still craved the parental love which even puppets and killing could not nearly satisfy.

"I'm just messing with you, Sasori~" Karura laughed and skilfully took the child from the red head, bouncing it lightly in her arms. "I wonder which toddler is the girl, and which is the boy…They look exactly the same!" She laughed once more, and grinned at her brother, "I wonder if people had the same trouble working out who was who when we were children, Yashamaru." The Genin shrugged slightly, giving a very small sheepish smile.

Sasori could sense the laugh which Yashamaru kept hidden beneath the awkward smile; the blond boy was getting good at hiding his emotions. "Sasori," the red head looked over to his Sensei, who in turn motioned for him to come to her. He walked over to Misaki and Owashi, looking between the two taller figures curiously. "I need you to heal the Daimyo's wounds…I've never been interested in being a medical-nin, and even I shall admit that your prowess of medical ninjutsu is more effective than mine." Sasori blinked at the woman as he looked into her eyes; the hatred had disappeared. It had been replaced with a newfound satisfaction for the red headed eleven year old, plus a slight distaste at having just told the boy that he was better than her at something. Sasori gave a nod, and she ruffled his hair with little affection, "Good." With that, the woman walked over to the two sets of twins to evaluate their health.

The man gave a small, tired smile at the youthful boy, "For a Jonin to admit that to one so young…She must be very proud of you." Owashi pulled his bloodied shirt off of his body to reveal numeral scars and deep wounds. Several appeared to be infected, and the sight would have made any mere human sick to their stomach, but Sasori did not falter as he set to work. The red head pressed his left hand against the infected scar which appeared to be the most serious wound on the man's body. The red head began pumping healing chakra through his hand and into the infection with his own version of the Mystical Palm Technique. He had dubbed it – ironically - as the 'Tender Touch Technique'. The infection dramatically began to change for the better as Sasori continued to heal it.

-x-

The red head had finished healing the man, and while Misaki discussed the issue of payment with the Daimyo, the three eleven year olds went to retrieve Salamander from the front gate. Sasori's eyes widened slightly when he noticed a looming figure admiring his puppet - his eyes widened further when he realised just who it was. The man gazed up to see the three Shinobi, and he gave his usual wide, creepy grin. "My, I'd recognize this skilled craftsmanship and that red hair o' yours any day! My, it is good to meet you again, Sasori and Karura."

"Hiruko?" The red head blinked up at the interesting man, who gave a simple nod in reply. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"My," the beast of a man gave a shrug, "Sky and I were simply travelling around the place. We heard that there were some rogues about, so I thought that I might have been able to help out…But it seems that you've already got it all worked out." Hiruko looked to Yashamaru, gazing between him and Karura for a few seconds. "My, you two are twins, aye?" They both nodded in unison, "My, that's a sight you don't see everyday! But aye, where's Daichi?" Sasori was quiet, and Karura simply shook her head in response, "…Let me guess…You wanted to become Chunin?" The blonde nodded solemnly and Sasori continued to remain stoic. "My…What a shame…But what 'bout the two of you? Are you still Genin, or did you somehow become Chunin without having to slaughter each other?"

"We outsmarted the system," Sasori gave a stolid shrug; "there was a flaw with it. They pitted team member against team member, but that only gave them the best Shinobi of each team and not overall."

"My, so you killed others who wanted to become Chunin?" Sasori and Karura nodded unashamedly, "…My, Sunagakure is ruthless, ain't it? What 'bout you, what's your name?"

The blond gave a fake polite smile, "My name is Yashamaru. I'm a Genin, while they're Chunin. Sunagakure got desperate for a third team member so I was put into the team." He gave a shrug and Hiruko nodded in thought.

"My, what 'bout your Sensei? Is she all right?" All three nodded in unison and the male's grin returned, "That's good then." There was a muffled bark as a familiar monster dog came bounding over to its master. In its teeth laden jaw hung the scarlet ibis which had been on the roof only a short time ago. By the looks of it, the bird was already dead with its neck snapped like a mere twig. Hiruko petted the dog, ruffling its pointed ears lovingly, "You lot remember Sky, right?"

Sasori and Karura nodded with slight distaste, while Yashamaru didn't do anything; it was before his time. The blonde girl whistled to the dog, encouraging the creature to come over to the group of eleven year olds. It blinked at them with its small eyes, and took a confident stride over to them. Karura put her hands on the dog's head, and this time it didn't try to attack her. The seven year old dog had not grown significantly larger since it had been three years old, while Sasori and Karura had. No longer was it twice as large as the two, and its head was now at the same height as the Chunin's, the ears making the dog only slightly taller than them. The blonde girl patted the dog without hesitation, ruffling the brown fur happily.

Sky's tail wagged with contentment and the dog dropped the dead ibis at their feet. Sasori looked at the dead bird for a few thoughtful seconds before attaching puppets strings to it with one hand. He made the corpse stand up and forced it to strut around. The playful dog noticed that its catch had begun to move again, and it gave a bark of curiosity and stupefaction. Sasori forced the bird to scurry to the right, and Sky took chase. The red head made the once-living puppet fly into the air as the dog almost caught it. Sky began jumping high, trying to get at its prey, barking and wagging its tail in excitement.

"My, that is an interesting Jutsu." Hiruko raised an eyebrow at it, and gave a hum as Sasori abruptly dropped the puppet strings he had attached to the bird, and once again it became just a dead thing. Sky began to maul the body, blood staining the bird's already crimson feathers as the dog ripped it to shreds. "Have you used it to control anything living?"

"Insects and really small creatures." He had first tried it out on insects which had roamed into the cave, but he had only been able to control them when they were dead, or within the twenty seconds between getting affected by Asuko's poison and death. It had taken him a lot of practice, but soon he was able to control even live bugs with ease. Sasori had then moved onto mice, rats and lizards, but it had taken a lot more practice until he had been able to control them. At this point, Sasori was able to control something as large as a small dog…Nothing as large as Sky or a human, but he was getting better at the technique every time he practised. "The range is from insects, to a small medium sized animal. I can control things better if they are weaker, and especially if they are already dead."

"My, that would be useful if you were in a war and all o' your puppets got destroyed. Very handy…" Hiruko snickered and gave a small, haughty laugh, "No pun intended."

"Hello there." Misaki Sensei appeared out of no where, walking over to the team while smiling as brightly as she usually did. At her waist was a medium sized bag which probably contained the Ryo which had been offered by the priestess for completing the mission. "Hiruko, right?" The man nodded, "Good to see you again, but unfortunately my squad and I must be off."

"That is alright." The redhead rolled his eyes and pulled out an empty scroll, sealing his puppet inside of it while leaving the caravan there to eventually be found by its true owner. The man grinned and ruffled Sasori's hair as if he were still only seven years old. "My, I do hope that I see you again." The man continued to give his eerie grin at the Jonin, the twins, and at the red headed boy who would murder him in four years time.

-x-

Sasori was walking towards the exit of Sunagakure, intent on going to his Den to work on some diagrams about how he could possibly turn humans into puppets. "Sasori!" The red head gave a frown and turned around, seeing a certain blond boy running after him.

"What is it, Yashamaru?" It was annoying that the kid – he called him that even though they were the same age - was disrupting him from his work.

"I want to become a medical-nin like you..." Yashamaru seemed to physically swallow his pride and loathing for the red head. "Teach me."

Sasori blinked at the boy, raising an eyebrow up at him. "Why do you want me to teach you? I'm sure that there are better medical-nin who'll be happy to have a pupil…I'm not one of them." Sasori was about to leave when Yashamaru once again stopped him.

"Please! You're the best medical-nin that I know! I want you to be my master." The boy was actually being serious.

…Master? He actually liked that title…Sasori gave a hum in thought, and then a sigh of defeat. "Very well; I'll take you to train at my Den...But the place is a secret, and I'm going to have to blindfold you while going there." Yashamaru gave a nod in agreement, eager to learn from the best.

-x-

As soon as they entered the Den, Sasori had to abruptly shove Yashamaru to the left in order to avoid the two toxic leaves which came shooting at the blond. Asuko gave a loud beeping noise, and Sasori walked over to her. The red head gently patted the plant's head, saying soft soothing words. Afterwards he turned back around to the blond, where he sat dazed on the other side of the room. "Sorry about that, my plant doesn't seem to take too fondly to strangers." Hmmm…He had never brought anyone else to his Den…Asuko could be a good defence against people who entered without the red head... "You can take the blindfold off now. We're here."

The blonde moved his Sunagakure headband from over his eyes, giving a sigh of relief. He stood up and looked around Sasori's domain; there were two work benches, a sleeping bag, electric lights on the walls, tools for puppet making, a bunch of scrolls which lay in a pile, a few small cages, an empty cell and the vicious plant. "When did you set this place up?"

"When I was eight years old; I wanted a place where I could just get away from it all and have the ability to work in peace." He gave a shrug and continued to stroke his potted pet.

"…Why is there a blood stain on the floor?" The red head looked over to where Yashamaru was staring. On the ground still sat the stain of where Sasori had cried himself to sleep after killing Daichi. There were also still a few dried blood stains on the floor, and a few splatters on his desk.

"..." Sasori walked over to the small cages, opening one up. "I became a Chunin." Out of the cage the redhead pulled a large rat. "So you want me to teach you some of my medical skills? Very well." Sasori walked over to one of the workbenches, holding the rat down to the table using his chakra strings. "This is a pretty simple thing to heal." Yashamaru traipsed over to the table and sat down on the only chair. "This technique is called the Mystic Palm Technique." Without further to do, Sasori picked up a butcher knife which he had brought a few weeks prior and cruelly cut the tail off of the rat.

-x-

"Almost any wound can be healed, Yashamaru; even headaches can be cured with the correct medicine." Sasori was petting his treasured plant, Asuko, as he fed her chunks of the rat which they had been practising on. The red head had inflicted a wound on it which Yashamaru had been unable to heal before the rodent had died, so Sasori had decided to cut the creature into pieces for his hungry plant. Yashamaru was only mildly revolted by the act, knowing already that Sasori was a heartless monster.

"Well, there are some wounds that are impossible to heal and some medicines which are unattainable to some people…" Yashamaru gave a slight shrug and a hum, giving a scowl when Sasori fed the head of the rat to Asuko. "Like a wound to the heart."

Sasori was only half listening, not really paying attention to his underling. "A wound to the heart can sometimes be healed if a medical-nin acts quickly enough…It depends on how serious the situations is, such as which part of the heart has been damaged, the bluntness of the blade, the skill of-"

"Not that kind of wound, Sasori…Oh yeah; you've never experienced a metaphorical wound to the heart, have you?" The red head stilled as he actually caught on to what the blond was saying. "But then again, that is a good thing, isn't it? Love is the only thing that can heal a wound to the heart; a medicine that you've never attained."

Sasori finished feeding the plant and looked over at Yashamaru, blinking slightly at him as he wiped the rat's blood onto an already bloody rag, "Love?" The red head gave a reminiscent look, trying to grasp the emotion - to comprehend it as he once had - but it was now lost to him. "Can you explain what this 'Love' is? I'm no longer familiar with it…"

Yashamaru gave him a look as if he were insane, before coughing lightly, "…Love…? Well…Love is…" He thought for a few moments before continuing, "Love is when you feel care and devotion to those who are precious to you! Like being completely loyal to someone no matter the situation! Giving your life up to save someone you love! It is the only thing that can cure a wound to the heart."

Sasori frowned, still not understanding what it was that Yashamaru was talking about…Why would someone give up their life just to save another? If it were for a bodyguard mission then that was understandable but to do it without any official order? It just confused the red head…"I have experienced wounds to the heart before, on many occasions, and true I have no cure for them except to learn to bear the pain. My parents died a few years ago, and I've been forced to kill friends before; in fact, my heart has probably been hurt so many times, that I no longer see any difference between being in pain and being content…" Sasori gave a simple shrug and placed the rag back down onto the table. "That is the end of this session; we'll try again when we next have time…"

…What _was_ 'Love' again…? Whatever; it wasn't important.

-x-

12 Years Old

Sasori had figured it all out; it seemed oh so easy now! He could really make a puppet out of a human. First he would skin the body, then he would pull out the person's entrails, place the heart aside and then drain the blood to the last drop. Make a nice pair of glass eyes from the real ones. After finished de-fleshing the skin, he'd lay it out on a table, reset the skeleton insides and add a few preservatives. Put some wood into it as a substitute for flesh, and then get to work on the heart.

In order to retain a person's chakra, Sasori would have to enhance the victim's dead heart so that the red head could pump chakra through it to activate the corpse's Jutsu and Kekkei Genkai…So he would make a chest compartment for the heart and add some preservatives to it. Finish with the heart, stitch up the skin and heal the wound so that the puppet was seamless…Oh, and then sew an outfit for it…Sewing was very relaxing…

Now all Sasori needed was a test subject to try it on. He didn't want to kill anyone close to him or anyone whose disappearance could be linked with him. A small smirk curved the twelve year olds lips. There were indeed positives when you lived in such a harsh, unforgiving desert.

-x-

Sasori was currently storming through the barren region beneath the sand inside of his scorpion puppet, Roan. He had been searching for a lost wanderer in the desert for the past week with little success. The red head brought the puppet back to the surface as there was no air under the sand and Roan only had an air supply of two hours. Sasori opened up the hatch of the puppet and looked out at the horizon, raising an eyebrow.

There was a looming wall of darkness across the horizon, proof of an incoming sandstorm. Sasori narrowed his eyes slightly and an ever so subtle smirk graced his lips. It was a perfect opportunity to capture someone lost in the storm. Sasori closed the hatch of Roan and once again dived below the sand, searching for a helpless victim.

-x-

After at least an hour of futile searching, the red head had found nothing and no one. He gave an annoyed sigh and decided to go back to his Den to work on another Rat puppet. Sasori followed the faint trail of chakra that he had purposely left behind, heading back to his cave, when he suddenly noticed a new chakra signature. The red head blinked when he realised that it was coming from inside of his cave.

Sasori brought Roan back up to the surface just outside his hideout, using one arm to protect his eyes from the flying sand of the storm and his other to pull out a scroll to reseal the puppet. With that accomplished, Sasori turned and entered the tunnel which led to his Den. A group of two sat huddled up, appearing bewildered and unaccustomed to the Land of Wind's abrupt sandstorms.

They appeared to be Genin, or even Chunin, but they were definitely not even close to Jonin level. The headbands that the two boys wore depicted that they were from the Village Hidden in the Grass. When they noticed Sasori they physically tensed, but seemed to be filled with relief once they saw that he was a Sunagakure Shinobi, and not a bandit or a marauder. Sasori gave the two boys - who were probably the same age as himself - a soft, innocent, fake smile.

Little did the Grass Shinobi know that by entering the cave, they had walked right into the monster's Den.


	10. A Human Guinea Pig

As White as Blood

Chapter Ten

A Human Guinea Pig

"Hello there," the red head continued to smile sweetly and falsely at the two Kusagakure Shinobi, "my name is Yoshiko." He had just said the first name which had come to mind, that being his own last name. "I'm a Chunin from Sunagakure."

"Thank gosh that you came," the first boy - who had short brown hair - piped up, "I am Ichiro, and this is my team-mate Jirou; we're Genin from Kusagakure. During this blasted sand storm we became separated from our squad leader and our other team mate."

"You did a good thing by coming here." Sasori prowled closer to the two of them, "Sandstorms are dangerous, and are best to wait out in safety."

"Why are you out here?" The second Kusagakure Genin seemed to be wearier of the red head than the other. Sasori's smile fell, and he blinked at them innocently with fake confusion; it was fun to manipulate his boyish charm. "Did you just so happen to stumble on this place 'conveniently', or did you come here to rescue us?"

"Neither, actually." Sasori gave a shrug and moved closer to his prey, hiding the predatory glint in his muddy brown eyes. "You see, this place is my hideout…My sanctuary…And I was on my way here when the sandstorm hit. Really it was pure coincidence that you both happened to be here." He gave yet another shrug and a hum.

"This is your hideout?" The second Shinobi spoke again, bringing a hand up to ruffle his own dark green hair slightly. "Isn't that a bit dodgy?"

"Oh gosh! Jirou, you are always so suspicious of people! The war is over." Ichiro gave a sigh and smiled at the red head, "I apologize for my team-mate, good sir. He is not yet accustomed to the peace between the nations."

"Don't worry, I forgive him." Without further to do, Sasori swiftly pulled a scroll from his Sunagakure jacket. Before the two Shinobi could react, the red head had already summoned his nonapus puppet. It appeared behind the two Kusagakure Genin and in a flash Cephalo wrapped its nine arms around them. The barb of each limb dug into their flesh, Sasori's paralysing poison taking instant effect. The twelve year old gave a short, sadistic chuckle, walking forward to the helpless Genin, as if they were simply flies caught in his web. The two Shinobi simply stared stiffly at Sasori with there paralysed, petrified eyes. "But really I don't give a damn whether or not you forgive me for what I'm going to do to you~"

-x-

Ichiro lay naked on Sasori's operating table, alive, though the Genin probably wished otherwise. The red head didn't plan on killing him on purpose, even though he would die at some point during the operation. But afterwards, Ichiro would be eternal.

In order to live forever, one had to die first.

Sasori took a non-specific scalpel from the rack, "You're going to become my very first Human Puppet…And your friend over there is going to be my second." The red head gave a hum and a shrug, "You both should be highly honoured to be the first…of my collection."

With that said, Sasori pressed the scalpel against the brunette's throat, slicing a neat line from Adams Apple to lower stomach. The boy was paralysed, but the intense pain was evident in his eyes. Sasori placed the scalpel to the side and pulled back the skin of the Genin, revealing the still functioning organs. Blood was spurting everywhere, and Sasori gave a sadistic smirk, a thirsty look evident in his eyes. One by one he began pulling, tearing and ripping out organs. The twelve year old dropped them into a careless pile and a few moments later there was a choking gargle, and the boy's torture ended as his heart stopped beating. Sasori gave a hum and pulled the delicate organ from beneath his ribcage, setting it down next to his beloved plant so that no bugs would secretly get at it. Asuko was not interested in the organ.

Sasori pulled the butchers knife from the rack, and with one quick thud he had hacked Ichiro's neck in two. The red head placed it down and picked up the deformed head, shoving his fingers into the gaping wound which had replaced the Genin's neck. He began to drag out the boy's brain, eyeballs, tongue, and whatever his hands could grab at which was not bone.

-x-

Sasori had gouged all of the flesh from the skin, and he was currently marvelling his work so far. An empty skeleton of what had been a boy a few hours ago with skin just waiting to be replaced. A pile of organs and scrapped flesh sat stinking in a bundle, while next to it sat a bucket - almost completely filled with blood. Sasori was nearly finished adding wooden structures and joints to the future puppet. He would simply run chakra through the wood in order to make it flexible, and then he'd bend it into shape to fit the human structure.

Just a little more…

-x-

Sasori finished placing the heart container into the puppet's chest, giving a smirk of delight. It had a heart, but the thing had no mind; that was a good thing. Sasori would become his creation's mind.

The red head moved over to the puppet's head, beginning to sew the skin and scalp back together with the needle and thread which he used for making clothes for his collection. "Almost done." Sasori moved onto the torso of the body, then both arms and then finally the legs. Now all that was left was to heal the stitches so that they were flawless and then attach the parts to form his puppet.

Sasori began to use his Tender Touch Technique on the back of the once-Genin's head, healing the scar he had created.

-x-

The red head had put a handcrafted black cloak around his brand new puppet, and began walking it about the cave. Ichiro was everything that Sasori had hoped him to be, and so much more. The puppet looked so realistic, especially with the black cape wrapped around his body. Sasori was so proud of him self, and he gave a laugh of disgusting joy. The puppet's countenance was so real looking - except for its imperfect jaw which was obviously belonging to a marionette - and the brown hair on its head waved ever so gently.

Sasori wanted to make another.

His eyes turned to the other victim who still sat paralysed on the other side of his Den. The lucky Kusagakure Shinobi had been so privileged as to watch his friend get hacked to bits and then turned into such a work of perfection without the ability to look away or close his eyes.

Sasori picked up an empty scroll from a small indent he had placed into the wall, sealing his work of art inside of it. The red head then put the scroll away into another indent which was hidden by a genjutsu so that others would not find his secrets. Sasori gave a cruel chuckle as he turned to face his other victim, a murderous gleam burning brightly in his eyes. Instead of a human, the twelve year old simply saw a blank canvas waiting for his masterful techniques to change it into a true work of art.

"Well then, are you not privileged?" Sasori attached chakra strings to the unmoving person, being able to make him sluggishly stand. He was still not good at controlling something so large, and Sasori was making Jirou stumble rather than traipse. It was good enough and soon, against his will, the boy was lying naked on Sasori's operating table. The red head picked up his bloody scalpel once again, a malicious grin curving his lips. "True Art is Eternal." With that said, Sasori placed the medical needle against the poor Genin's Adams Apple and began the brutal operation all over again.

-o-

…There you have it; the story of making my first two human puppets. I know that by now you probably think that I was a psychopathic child, and even I must agree with those that say so. But I am also a psychopathic adult; well, if I can really be called one at even where I am now in my life at the age of thirty five.

All I can say about my actions of that day is simply…That I am still so proud about what I had finally accomplished. So fucking proud that it kills me inside.

-o-

Sasori was so astoundingly happy. He cherished his two latest works of art as the puppeteer walked them around his Den. His mood was, however, dampened when he noticed the mess of organs, clothes and blood he would have to get rid of. The red head gave an annoyed sigh and sealed the two human puppets into the same scroll.

He placed it into one of the many genjutsu wall shelves he had made, and then he set to work. Firstly he folded up all of the clothes, making one lot per Kusagakure Genin with their headbands atop each pile. Sasori placed them both into another wall shelf which was protected with a genjutsu so that none could see what sat in the cave wall. Sasori next moved onto the bucket of blood. He gave a thoughtful hum and scooped up a handful, bringing it over to his plant. "Asuko, open up." The Venus flytrap opened her mouth on command and Sasori poured the blood into her jaws. They clamped shut as the plant seemed to swallow, and it gave a happy beeping bark. Sasori carried the full bucket of blood over to his pet and placed it down next to Asuko. She moved her gaping jaws and began to hungrily lap up the liquid as if it were a delicacy.

Now all that was left were the organs…Sasori summoned Turquoise and loaded the entrails inside of the puppet, guiding them outside. He pulled another scroll from his Sunagakure vest and Salamander appeared from inside of it. The sandstorm still existed but was clearly coming to an end. Sasori gave a sigh and made Turquoise dump the organs onto the sand, resealing the puppet into its proper scroll. Sasori attached chakra strings to Salamander and opened up its mighty jaws. He activated the flamethrower inside of the puppet's throat, and a burst of flame shot out, disintegrating the organs instantly.

The ashes blew away into the wind and Sasori resealed the puppet inside of the scroll, giving a relieved sigh. He turned and walked back inside of his Den, intent on waiting out the remainder of the sandstorm.

-x-

"We have a new mission…C rank this time." Misaki Sensei gave a sigh, running a hand through her hair before her usual bright smile appeared. "A squad of Kusa-Nin were coming here for a mission that they were hired for, but they were in the desert when a sandstorm struck." She gave a shrug and continued to grin, "Two Genin got separated from the team, and now they have hired us to try and find them." Misaki began to go over the descriptions, listing off details which Sasori's new two puppets fit perfectly.

-x-

"Okay, Karura and Sasori, you go that way. Yashamaru, we're going in this direction." The three Shinobi nodded and they split into two, the Chunin moving to the left; Sasori noticed that his Den was in the direction they were headed.

They began running at top speed, the blonde searching for any chakra signal that she could pick up and Sasori knowing that there wouldn't be any. "Karura, there is something I want to show you."

"Huh? Sasori, we're on a mission right now." She grinned over at him, "We can compare breast sizes later on!"

Sasori shot her an unimpressed look, "That is not what I meant. This has nothing to do with puberty…Besides, I'm a male; I don't get breasts…And you're still as flat as when you were five." He gave her a smirk, and Karura stuck her tongue out at him.

Puberty was a bitch.

-x-

"Do you like them?" Sasori had brought Karura to his Den, firstly going in and instructing Asuko not to attack the girl. Luckily the plant either listened or was too busy gorging on the bloody feast, as it did not make any hostile moves towards Karura. She was the red head's best friend, and she had always admired his puppets, so why not these masterpieces? The blonde's eyes widened immediately after the red head summoned the marionettes.

"Sasori…Those…" A wide smile abruptly grew on her face, "Are amazing!" Karura's eyes brightened and she walked forward to inspect the puppets. "They were once human? That is so cool!" Sasori actually smiled happily at the acceptance his best friend showed towards his masterpieces. "But what should we do about the mission if these are the two we're supposed to be finding…?"

-x-

"This is all that we could find…" Misaki handed the two Kusagakure headbands to the Grass Village Jonin. The man took them and gave the woman a questioning look; "My squad says that they found them in an area which is infamous for rogue desert wolves that attack and kill unwary people."

The Kusagakure Jonin gave a slow, solemn nod, "…Thank you for your help." He handed them a small bag of Ryo and put the two headbands into his weapons pouch. The last Genin of his team stood sadly behind the man, forlornly clutching at the hem of her shirt. Sasori did not even feel the slightest bit guilty or sad for the single Genin; if the Kusagakure test of becoming a Chunin was anything like Sunagakure's, then it would be the best for her.

-x-

Puberty sucked. Sasori absolutely hated being a human; his voice kept cracking mid sentence and he kept having dreams that he wished he could simply dismiss. Sasori shook his head to clear it, ultimately annoyed by the whole damn situation.

And that wasn't the worst of it; the red head was beginning to stupidly notice Karura more and more for some unknown reason. Her hips were widening, she had lost all of her puppy fat, and even the blonde's chest was getting larger. Sometimes Sasori just couldn't keep his eyes off of his best friend for all the wrong reasons, and he was absolutely appalled by himself.

Puberty indeed was a bitch, and Sasori just wanted it to die a bloody, painful death.

The red head walked into his Den, Turquoise wheeling in behind him. Sasori opened the puppet, and the family of three fell out of it without hindrance; two of them were adults, probably Jonin as they had been a real nuisance to poison, and their small daughter who was probably only four years old. Sasori was already in a foul mood, and this just made him all the more bitter.

What the hell was he supposed to do with a four year old girl? She wouldn't be worth the operation of becoming a puppet! He hadn't even bothered to use his paralysing poison on the girl as the red head did not want to waste it, so he had simply knocked her unconscious with a single hard blow to the head.

Sasori snickered and opened up the door to the cell which he had built into one of the walls of his Den a small while back. He picked the worthless child up by the back of her shirt without any tenderness or care, roughly tossing her inside.

Had he known that the two Jonin had had a child with them then he wouldn't have even bothered trying to capture the duo. Not because of any moral reasoning, of course, simply because - thanks to that stupid parental instinct - the two Jonin had been harder to bring down than the red head had first intended. Sasori now had the tasks of reattaching four of Cephalo's arms, adding some new spikes to Turquoise, and now Roan also needed to be repainted; the puppet currently didn't even live up to its name. He sighed and slammed the barred door shut, the automatic locks falling into place.

Sasori picked the woman up first, struggling somewhat with her weight, but managing altogether to get her paralysed body up onto his operating table. The red head sighed with relief and was still for a few seconds…Oh fuck. A blush almost formed on the hormonal boy's face at the prospect of having to see this woman's naked body.

Sasori shook his head to try and clear it, slapping himself hard across the face. Stupid hormones, stupid dreams; stupid everything! No, just calm down…This woman is just another empty canvas…Something which needed the red head to kill it in order for it to become something worthwhile. Sasori gave a gentle sigh and swallowed what modesty he possessed, beginning to undress the woman who was still conscious, but powerless to stop the young mastermind.

-x-

The red head was almost done scrapping the flesh off of the body's skin when he heard Asuko give a harsh hiss. Sasori quickly heeded the warning and ducked down low, spinning around automatically. The male Jonin was managing to stand, even though half of his body was still paralysed. Sasori sneered, wishing that he had injected another dose of paralysing poison into the man's bloodstream. The Jonin made a move to grab another kunai from the weapons pouch he wore with his one working arm. In a flash, the fight was over.

Sasori blinked as the man suddenly gave a gargled scream. Two of Asuko's leaves had shot out to protect her master, one getting the Jonin right across the face and the other swiping a bare spot on his arm before Asuko retracted them back to her self, satisfied though giving a low, menacing growl. The man fell to the floor, still gargling in grotesque pain. His muscles trembled sickly and inhumanly, as if insects were crawling beneath the Jonin's skin. A few more disgusting seconds passed and the man suddenly stopped moving altogether. Sasori raised an eyebrow at the sight and straightened up, turning to look at the wall that had been in front of him a few moments ago.

Two kunai knives were embedded in the stone, both having missed their target simply due to Sasori's quick duck. The red head turned back and traipsed over to the new dead body that littered his floor. With his foot, Sasori flipped the heavy corpse over onto its back. The man's face was deformed into a grotesque beast which even made the red head somewhat disgusted. Foam was bubbling about his mouth, and a red rash had broken out on half of his face.

"Odd…" Sasori turned back and walked over to his plant, gently patting her head. Asuko lovingly nuzzled her master's hand, giving a tender purring noise as she did so. "Either you can choose whether or not to poison one with enough toxins that it becomes deadly…" Sasori smirked at his pet, continuing to gently pet it. "Or feeding you blood increases the amount of poison you can release…I hope it is the first, as I don't think that if you were to poison me with that amount of toxins, the antidote I compiled would be enough to save me…" Sasori gave a hum and stopped patting Asuko, setting back to work on his third human puppet.

-x-

The red head was feeling a lot better; he had completed both puppets and he had already cleaned up his Den of the organs. Asuko was happily lapping up the fresh pail of blood, and even Sasori admitted that his loyal plant deserved the treat.

A soft groan came from inside the cell, and Sasori frowned at the disturbance of his peace; "Mummy…? Daddy…?" Another groan and the red head sighed, standing up from where he had been relaxing on his sleeping bag. He has completely forgotten about the little annoyance! Sasori traipsed over to the cell bars, looking in at the child; she was still half unconscious and she seemed quite out of it, the red head almost comparing her motions to that of a drunkard. The four year old looked straight at Sasori, dazed, her eyes unadjusted to the odd lighting of the Den, "Who are you?"

The red head gave a sigh and crossed his arms; the cell was lit by a single light on the ceiling, and Sasori could make out the child's features easily. Her eyes were a dark blue, and she had blonde hair tied up in a once neat bun. Two short bangs hung down each side of her face, and oddly they were brown. "My name is Sasori, but that isn't important; what is your name?"

The little girl blinked slowly up at him, a dazed and confused expression on the four year old's face. "My name…?" Sasori rolled his eyes and gave a slow nod, encouraging the child to continue. She was quiet for a few more seconds before giving a small yawn, blinking several times. The blonde lay back down on the cold hard floor and curled into a ball, seeming intent on sleeping off the dizzy feeling. "My name…I can't…" She tiredly shook her head, not knowing the words to say that she had forgotten her own name. The little orphan girl sluggishly closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep, letting the problems of her small world disappear into unconsciousness.

"…" Sasori frowned lightly in distaste before he gave a harsh sigh, "I guess I hit her a bit too hard…Fine then, from now on you'll be my human guinea pig…But I guess I should give you a proper name…So from now on, you'll be called…" The red head blinked before giving a slight smirk of success, "You'll be called Pakura."


	11. The Third Shinobi World War

As White as Blood

Chapter Eleven

The Third Shinobi World War

Thirteen Years Old

"Master Sasori…" The red head had been busy reading an interesting scroll about creatures called Bijuu - or tailed beasts - until the girl had distracted him. Sasori had heard some rumours around the village about such things, but this secret scroll was much more fact worthy than gossip.

He gave a sigh as he managed to pull him self away from the interesting information, looking over at the cell door. "What is it, Pakura? I am very busy."

Sasori heard the five year old stand up and the red head watched as she came into view. His little personal pet, or rather, his human guinea pig. "Can I have some water?" The red head gave a slow nod after a few seconds and stood up, moving over to the small storage tank he had 'borrowed' from a caravan that had been lost in the wasteland. Sasori picked up one of the two wooden bowls and filled it with some of the water, moving over to the cell.

"Here." The thirteen year old held it out between the bars and the little girl took it, drinking the water quickly after giving a small thank you. "How is the antidote working? Do you still feel the pain?"

Pakura downed the bowl of water and looked up at the red head, slowly shaking her head; she bore no fear of the monster. "I can't feel anything…" Sasori frowned and put his hand between the bars, pinching the pale skin of her right cheek and giving Pakura a questioning look. She simply shook her head and he released the childishly chubby flesh. "…Nothing…"

"I think that is a bad sign…But at least the pain is gone, right?" She nodded and handed back the wooden bowl, asking for another drink politely, "Sure." Sasori moved back over to the tank and refilled the bowl, giving a hum. "Well, if you are still alive tomorrow, then I guess it will be an alright antidote, and if you're dead then I can always just use it as a strong painkiller."

He walked back to the cell and handed the bowl to Pakura once more. She began to drink again, downing the second bowl just as quickly as the first. Pakura gave a sigh and handed it back to Sasori. "Thank you, Master Sasori."

With that said, the five year old wandered over to the other side of the cell, sitting down and picking up the small doll that Sasori had made for her. It was just a small something for the fact that she had managed to survive one whole year of being his human guinea pig.

Sasori gave a hum and eyed the wooden rack which held several vials of the antidote before picking the rack up. He traipsed to one of the empty gaps within the cave wall, placing the rack of pain killing antidotes within the crevice, memorising the location of the clear liquid within his mind. After completing this short task, the thirteen year old walked back over to his work table, finding the spot where he had read about the Shukaku.

-x-

"Granny…" Chiyo looked at her grandson, giving a gentle smile. "Can you tell me the story of the Shukaku? I've heard rumours of it, but I have never been told the story."

The woman blinked at him and gave a sigh, unable to deny the red head, "Very well; take a seat." Sasori and Chiyo both sat down at the kitchen table, a delicate sense of importance hanging in the air. "The Shukaku is a beast known as a Bijuu; very few know what it actually is, and the tale of how it came to be is shrouded in mystery. The usual story is of a Sunagakure Priest who became corrupt. But this story is only somewhat true. The Priest was named Sake, and he was the first host of Shukaku." She gave a soft hum in thought before continuing. "He became corrupt by the power of the beast and soon went on a massacre, but the second Kazekage managed to bring him down, and the Bijuu was removed from the priest. Shukaku was then sealed away inside of a tea kettle. Sake died after the Bijuu was extracted, and soon the Second Kazekage became obsessed with the idea of the power that the beast offered. So he sealed Shukaku into his eldest daughter in hopes of creating a weapon to protect the village. She was fine at first, but after her father passed away, the girl by the name of Umeshu began to go insane. She hallucinated and began to think that the citizens of Sunagakure were giant spiders, a dangerous thing as she was arachnophobia…One night she completely lost it and Shukaku took over. She began what is called the Kumo Massacre as Umeshu simply believed that she was squishing spiders and not people. A man by the name of Jishaku Satetsu rose up against her. He had created a Jutsu which was derived from the Shukaku known as Iron Sand; this was done by using a Kekkei Genkai where he was able to convert chakra into a magnetic force. He made the Iron Sand technique, and with it, he brought down Umeshu. Jishaku ordered me to reseal Shukaku inside of the tea kettle which he had been previously sealed inside of and I did as he instructed."

"Jishaku Satetsu?" Sasori blinked at his granny, raising an eyebrow in both interest and curiosity, "Why haven't I ever heard of him before?"

"Oh, you have." Chiyo smiled knowingly at her grandson. "You see, after that, Sunagakure was in need of a new Kage." The red head frowned at his granny as he realised what she was hinting at, "So, Jishaku Satetsu…Became the Third Kazekage."

Sasori raised his eyebrows at Chiyo in surprise, "…Are you serious?" She continued to smile and gave him a slow nod. "So what ever happened to Shukaku?"

"He is still sealed inside of that tea kettle which I put him in. The only one who knows where Shukaku resides now is the Third Kazekage." Sasori asked her what ever happened to Umeshu afterwards. "…She died." The red head frowned and asked why the Second Kazekage had done something so cruel as to seal a demon inside of his own daughter. "Generally - and not just in Sunagakure - to prevent the Jinchuriki from turning traitor against the village, the host is usually selected from the family of the village's own Kage."

Sasori gave a slow nod and imagined the scene of Umeshu and Jishaku fighting. "Granny Chiyo…" She gave a hum of acknowledgement, continuing her gentle loving smile. "Is the Third Kazekage really that powerful?"

The woman's smile fell, and she gave him an all too serious expression. "Sasori…He is the most powerful Kazekage we have ever had…And his Iron Sand technique…Is the most feared weapon in the history of Sunagakure." Sasori blinked at her, and then gave a simple nod. He had never really met the Kazekage before, and now he was intimidated by the thought of even being in his presence.

-x-

"No, I don't want any more apples, Asuko…Really? Where?" Sasori was rubbing his temples in utter frustration; "You lie, Asuko. There is no sun in here…No there aren't any birds in here…Even ask Dolly, there is none." Pakura was hallucinating again, and seemed to believe that she was currently in a conversation with Sasori's plant and her doll. The red head had given her the antidote for his latest poison but the after-effects were still evident. "Oh really? Wow, you're right Asuko. Hello Karura!"

Sasori gave a groan and was about to hit his head on the table when his plant gave a loud, happy bark. He frowned and looked at Asuko, who simply gave another happy bark in response. Sasori turned around to look at the entrance of his Den, his eyes widening very slightly. "Hey," Karura smiled at the red head, traipsing over to him, "I brought some fruit; you keep yourself couped up in here for long periods of time and you'll end up insane."

Sasori's nose twitched. "If Pakura would kindly shut up then I think I'd be a lot saner." He rolled his eyes and gave a sigh, closing the scroll he had been _trying _to read. "Besides, I'm already insane; we both are."

Karura rolled her eyes and moved over to the cage, smiling in at the orphan. "Hello Pakura, how are you today?" The five year old began to go on about how she, Asuko and Dolly had been conversing. She went on to establish that the plant had claimed there was a bird in the cave, and that there was sunlight. Karura raised an eyebrow and nodded with false encouragement, "Wow, Asuko is a bit of a liar, isn't she?" The five year old nodded honestly. "My mother always told me not to trust plants." The blonde gave the orphan a grin and held an apple out for her to take. Pakura eagerly took it and began to eat the delicacy ravenously. Karura walked over to the red head, sitting down in the second seat which Sasori had added to his Den a few months ago. "Poison or antidote?" She began to scrounge around in her bag, pulling out two more apples.

"Originally it was the poison, but the antidote has just made her _even louder_." He sighed in frustration and then took the blood red fruit that his best friend offered. "Another failure; the poison managed to kill the rat that I tested it on, but in the same amount of time it took to kill it, Pakura had just started to talk to Asuko." Sasori took a bite of the apple, giving a hum while shaking his head slowly, "It is annoying."

"I bet." Karura gave a shrug and started to eat her own apple. "So how many Human Puppets have you made so far?"

Sasori swallowed the fruit he had been chewing and ran a hand through his red hair, "Seven; I think the authorities are beginning to catch on though. Fewer merchants are travelling alone through the desert…" He gave a shrug. "But that is alright, I'd rather have puppets of Shinobi as opposed to civilians. I have two Kusagakure Genin, two Sunagakure Jonin, two merchants and also a Konohagakure Jonin."

"Wow, I still can't believe that you've taken down three Jonin. Hell; you took down two at once!" She giggled and gave him an odd grin, batting her eyelashes slyly. "_That's really impressive_~"

Sasori's eye twitched slightly and he took another bite of his apple. After swallowing it, he continued to give his best friend the unamused look. "Are you flirting with me?"

Karura giggled again and leaned closer to Sasori, causing the redhead to lean back slightly. "I'm trying to~" She gave him a joking wink, and took another bite of her own apple. After a few too-close seconds, she moved back in her seat, laughing loudly. "Oh the look on your face!" Karura grinned at him and Sasori simply sneered in annoyance. "Hell, you're even blushing!"

"No I'm not…" The red head twitched again, giving a 'hmph' noise while turning up his nose. "Shut up…"

"Oh I'm just messing with you, Sasori~" She continued to give him the stupidly cunning grin. They sat in quiet for a few almost awkward seconds with just the sound of Pakura eating away at her apple and the quiet whispers to her Dolly in the background. "You know…Ever since puberty…You look really handsome…" Karura risked putting a hand to the red head's face, and Sasori let her examine his countenance. The girl was right; Sasori had lost all of his baby fat, just as Karura had done. The red head's face was slim and acne-free, his skin oddly pale despite the fact that they lived in a desert. He had gained some subtle muscles on his arms, and Sasori's chest was broader. "You should stop wearing all that face paint though; I mean you wear it like all the time…" Karura laughed when Sasori just stuck his tongue out at her. "But it's not just your looks…" She smirked at him, "You're voice is super sexy as well~"

Sasori sneered and brushed her hand off of his face, no longer bothering to bear the touch; "Well you're exactly the same as when you were five, you flat-chested ignoramus." Lie. Even the red head had noticed the changes of his friend. Her breasts had grown, and she'd lost all of her puppy fat, and the red head now referred to her as being 'Dangerously Elegant'. Karura stuck her tongue out at him and finished off her apple, placing the core into her bag.

"…" The blonde tilted her head somewhat and changed the subject to one that was not as awkward, "What ever did happen to your own bracelet?" She motioned to the loop of decorated metal which Sasori wore on his wrist. Karura was perfectly aware that it had originally belonged to their friend Daichi.

Sasori thought back to the Iwagakure Chunin he had fought long ago; the original Asuko. Was she still alive? The red head didn't really care. "I don't know." Sasori moved his chair over a tad and began to idly pet his pet Venus flytrap. It purred and rubbed against his palm, as if it were a cat rather than a plant that loved drinking human blood. Asuko.

"How is Yashamaru's training going?" She gave a small laugh, "He gets so excited when you have something new to teach him."

Sasori gave a shrug and shook his head, "Sadly he isn't on the same level as us…Except I'd say he is more intelligent than you by far." Karura stuck her tongue out at him and he rolled his eyes, "But a lot of the techniques are too difficult for him. Even some are quiet difficult to me…"

Sasori, feeling quite bored, picked up the unfinished outfit he had been making for his next inevitable Human Puppet. The red head took hold of the needle and the thread which was attached to it, and he returned to sewing the two halves of the cloth together so as to form the back, "…Okay Sasori, I think we need to have a talk about your strange hobby…Only girls are supposed to actually like sewing."

"So?" The red head didn't take his eyes away from his fixating work, finding that it was absolutely calming, "How else am I supposed to dress my Human Puppets? I don't get enough pocket money to buy identical outfits for them…It's also very relaxing…Plus…I make it manly." Karura rolled her eyes while smirking, and Sasori continued to work for a few minutes until he finished the black cloak. "Done." He folded it up and put his tools to the side before the red head gave a slight frown, "Do you know the story of the Shukaku?"

"Where did that come from?" She smirked at him and leaned back in her seat, shrugging her shoulders. "I've heard rumours; something about a tea kettle and a dodgy priest. People don't talk about it openly."

"Would you like to hear the story?" Karura gave a slow nod, the faint eager shimmer which was constantly in her eyes gleaming slighter brighter. "What about you Pakura? Do you want to listen, or are you still conversing with Asuko and Dolly?"

"A story?" The five year old toddled to the front of her cell in order to be able to listen better. "Yay! You hear that Dolly? Master Sasori is going to tell us a story!" She hugged the doll tightly and looked at the red head, smiling eagerly and innocently.

-x-

"…" Misaki stood in front of her squad, giving her rare serious expression which suited her face much more than a smile. "The Third Shinobi World War has begun, and Sunagakure is a part of it." The three Shinobi's eyes widened simultaneously. "Sasori and Karura; the Third Kazekage wishes to see you in person."

The two Chunin nodded distastefully; Sasori hated war ever since the last one had taken his parents.

-x-

"Hello." Sasori, Karura, and a few others who were slightly older stood in the Third Kazekage's office. The man sat at his desk, appearing to be awfully dignified and superior. He wore a hat that was both white and blue which had the kanji for 'Wind' on the centre. "I am the Third Kazekage." He had spiky brown hair which almost reached half way down his neck, and he had his hands neatly folded beneath his chin. "I have called you all here because of the war. You have all been chosen by your squad leaders as they believe you to be worthy of advancing." He calmly placed his hands upon the table, looking slowly along the line of Shinobi. "As of now, I award you all the title of Jonin. Some of you shall be allocated the task of going off to fight, others will remain in the Land of Wind to patrol the desert in the case of invaders, and the rest of you Jonin will be given teams of Genin to lead. Is that clear?"

They all nodded and declared "Yes sir," sharply and in a professional, abnormal unison. As of now, Sasori and Karura were official Jonin.

-x-

"I am no longer your teacher." Misaki stood before the duo, a look of immense pride evident in her gaze. "We are, as of now, equals." She opened up a scroll and began to read from it, "The Third Kazekage has assigned the both of you jobs which best suit your skills. Karura, you have been assigned a group of three young Genin. Your job is to raise them, just as I raised you." Karura gave a simple nod, "And Sasori, the Third has assigned you the task of patrolling the desert. You are to kill any enemies of Sunagakure and protect the people of the Land of Wind." Sasori gave a nod, and Misaki closed the scroll. "I am so happy for the both of you. Go forth and help our village," she smiled all too sweetly, "or die trying~"

-x-

Sasori and Karura sat on one of the many ledges of the wall which surrounded their village, the wind ruffling their hair gently. "We're Jonin…" The red head simply gave a nod, continuing to look out at the sun which was currently setting on the horizon. "We're only thirteen years old, but they pretty much consider us adults…"

"Yes; that is the thing about Sunagakure…They want us to grow up fast." Sasori gave a sigh and closed his eyes. It hadn't really sunken in yet that he was now a Jonin, "And they've succeeded."

The two thirteen year olds let the sun wash over their childish faces, "…Yeah." Karura gave a sigh and leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder; "Time has gone so quickly. I mean, soon we'll be married with three children." She gave another sigh, though the girl was obviously smirking, "I want two boys and one girl."

"I just don't even know when you're joking or being serious anymore." Sasori sighed and coldly pushed his best friend off of his shoulder. She laughed and lay back on the warm rock wall, Sasori doing the same. They both watched as a single cloud passed by above them, an oddity in the desert.

"But have you ever really thought about a future like that? Falling in love, getting married, settling down, having children, retiring, and finally dying at a ripe old age?" Sasori gave a frown and once again he shut his eyes, thinking about the job he had been given for the war.

"No; I've never thought about any of those things…" The red head gave a short, arrogant smirk, "Except for that last one. I've thought long and hard about death…And I've concluded that I'm going to live for an eternity."

Karura gave a snort and a chuckle, "As in forever?" She laughed again and gave a vocal sigh, "That is both stupid…And _so like you_…" They lay in silence for a few minutes before Karura decided that she wanted to tease a little more, "…Do you think our children will look like me or look like you? God, I hope that they inherit your red hair," she gave another laugh; "it looks unbelievably sexy."

Sasori gave a sigh of slight irritation and blindly groped around the dirt until he found Karura's hand. He took it and the best friends entwined their fingers, a symbol of their almost unbreakable bond. "Karura…" Sasori opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. She did the same and they both stared at the other with odd seriousness; the sun finally fell behind the horizon, and the heat completely disappeared. "Can life remain this way forever?"

The blonde gave him a small chaste smile, barely visible, but still evident. Her grasp on his hand tightened both reassuringly and affectionately. "I hope so, Sasori…" The coldness of the night was becoming more evident as the seconds progressed, but neither even noticed the icy chill. "I hope so."


	12. A Prideful Man

As White as Blood

Chapter Twelve

A Prideful Man

"Okay then." The Third Kazekage stood in front of the group of Shinobi, just outside of Sunagakure's entrance. It consisted solely of Jonin, including Sasori and others who he had never met before. "You shall split up into squads of two to defend an area around the Land of Wind. If any enemy Shinobi are to enter your area, then you are to exterminate them right away."

"But sir," a man who appeared to be in his early twenties spoke up; he had short brown spiky hair and a dedicated hardness in his eyes, "what of merchants and refugees?"

The Third Kazekage gave a hum, "Inspect their luggage and find out their true intentions for coming to the Land of Wind. If they appear to have acceptable reasons for arriving, then let them by. If not, kill them. Is that clear?" They all nodded and mechanically declared a 'Yes Sir' in response. "Good; remember…The livelihood of our village is in your hands…"

-x-

Sasori had been teamed up with the brunette man who had spoken earlier. The red head already didn't like him.

"You can call me Takeo Satetsu; it isn't my real first name, but you are to address me as such." Despite the fact that they were both supposed to be equals, the man seemed to act as if he were the superior one. "State your name…And how old are you?"

"My name is Sasori Yoshiko," he couldn't be bothered thinking up a fake name as well, "and I am thirteen years old."

"_Pleasure_ to make your acquaintance…" They were already at the area where they were going to be patrolling; it was in a space of land between Sunagakure and the Land of Rain. "Judging by that face paint, you must be a part of the Puppet Brigade." Sasori gave a simple nod, even though it was a rhetorical question. "Don't you seem a tad young to be a Jonin?"

The red head gave the brunette a critical look for a few seconds, but then his lips stretched into a smirk. "A monster can be made at any age."

"…" Takeo blinked slowly and calmly at him, before giving a nod, though Sasori noticed that he had narrowed his eyes very subtly. "Very well then, I guess you are correct with that assumption." He looked around the barren area and gave a deep hum of thought. "That Puppet Master Jutsu of yours will come in handy for patrol. How many marionettes do you possess and how skilled are you at handling them?"

"Five offensive, one deceptive, five small espionage puppets, and three which are both offensive and defensive." He didn't include his Human Puppets, as they were still back at his Den and he couldn't risk Takeo recognising them as once actually being alive. "The spying puppets I can use just one finger for each, but the others I require at least two fingers."

"Very well; summon your espionage puppets and two others which you believe will be suitable. When the time comes for fighting, release your puppet strings for three of your spying marionettes and summon two other suitable puppets." Takeo handed Sasori a wireless communication ear piece which the red head put on - both began adjusting the dials until they reached the same frequency. "We shall communicate via these head sets. Notify me at the first sighting of an enemy. Is that understood?"

"Yes." Sasori deliberately did not call his equal by the title of 'Sir'. He pulled out one scroll, summoning his five Rat puppets. Sasori put the paper back into his jacket and recovered two more scrolls from other pockets. He summoned both Roan and Spit, the latter having his body covered in a long black handmade robe in order to keep his weapons and spin-top-base incognito. Sasori attached one puppet string to each Rat, two to Spit, and three to Roan, opening up the last puppet's hatch.

The red head climbed inside and shut it as his Rats began running to a designated location in each frontal direction. Spit remained with Takeo whilst Roan burrowed beneath the sand for a future surprise attack. Underneath the desert, Sasori closed his eyes and concentrated mainly on his Rats, trying difficultly to watch through all of their glass eyes at once. It was a new technique that the red head had yet to perfect, and it usually resulted in giving Sasori a damn migraine.

-x-

It wasn't until day five of patrol that there was finally some action. "Coming from the North East, a group of five Konohagakure Shinobi; judging by their chakra they are probably Jonin, but possibly ANBU level." Sasori dropped the chakra strings of three Rats, leaving the north east and north puppet rodents attached, but decreasing the chakra amount he was using on them.

"Very well…Good work and remember the plan." The red head nodded and pulled out two scrolls with his free hand, choosing his puppets carefully. Sasori suddenly felt a tug on his chakra string that was controlling the north east Rat. He focussed on its vision to see that the Konohagakure Shinobi had noticed it. Luckily it actually had once been a rat, and the only weird thing was that it lacked a tail. Sasori hadn't even put his red scorpion symbol on it.

"_Look what we have here." One of the Konoha Shinobi picked up the puppet, frowning down at it. "It isn't moving…I think it is dead."_

"_Put it down, it's just a fucking dead rat." The second Jonin swatted the thing from the man's hand and it dropped to the ground uselessly. "Seriously, we're on an important scouting mission. We need to check the defences of this shit hole and then take information back to the Third Hokage." With that said they began moving again, heading straight for Takeo, Spit and Sasori._

Sasori frowned and recited the information he had just heard to Takeo. "That sounds about right." He gave an audible sneer, "How dare they call our home a 'Shit Hole'. They will pay for that." The red head was somewhat confused by this man's allegiance towards Sunagakure.

Over time, Sasori was slowly starting to realise that the place wasn't as worthwhile as he had once believed it to be, but it seemed that Takeo actually still held a high respect for the place that they had grown up in.

-x-

The five Shinobi were not expecting the ambush that they ran into; they became cautious when they saw the two figures of Takeo and the clothed puppet known as Spit, but they obviously thought that against the five of them they would be a push over.

They stopped when they were about two metres away from the duo. The hood covered Spit's face, which - although was humanoid - was still easily detectable as not belonging to a live person. Sasori gazed from beneath the puppet's hood, watching out through the glass eyes of his creation. The man who had bad mouthed their home stood at the front, giving them a snide smirk. "Two of you? That's it?" He sneered and his face twitched stupidly. "This fucking place must have one pussy military system." Two of the Shinobi laughed, including the one who had made the comment.

"…" Sasori could practically hear Takeo's muted anger through the headset, but he patiently waited for his cue. "…I'm sorry…But the five of you will have to _go_."

There it was.

Spit abruptly came to life, his head suddenly tilting upwards and Sasori activated the mechanism he had installed into the puppet's mouth. Senbon coated in Asuko's deadly poison shot out at the Konohagakure Shinobi. They were successfully taken by surprise, but all except for one managed to evade. The Konohagakure Jonin which had been hit three times was still for a few seconds, before he abruptly gave a scream. "HELP ME! IT BURNS! GET IT OFF OF ME! GET IT OFF OF ME!" Rashes and boils began to break out on his body, and he gave one last scream of agony before the man abruptly collapsed onto the sand, already dead.

Sasori and Takeo had made a silent agreement of each taking out two of the survivors. Sadly the one who had bad mouthed their village was a part of Takeo's victims, but the one who had picked up his Rat earlier was within Sasori's group. The red head started to spin Spit around, causing the black cloak to go flying off. Sasori's prey gave appalled faces to see that it hadn't even been a human in the first place, quickly jumping to avoid a second spray of senbon out of Spit's mouth. "It's a puppet!" One of the men began looking around, "We have to attack the Puppet Master! That's what they told us to do if we ran into a member of the Puppet Brigade…Is that guy the Puppeteer?"

"No, he seems too preoccupied to be controlli-AH!" The Shinobi was abruptly pulled beneath the sand by the puppet that Sasori had just summoned. Cephalo had been upgraded to be able to travel through the sand, as if the grains were simply an ocean. The puppet made short work of the man, stabbing at the enemy with the poisoned barbs. As the man cried out in poison-caused-pain, he accidentally began to inhale sand. He could not stop himself from screaming more as the poison seeped through his body, and the sand caused him to suffocate.

The last of Sasori's opponents was looking around everywhere, not knowing where to dodge. Was he to avoid the spinning doll puppet? Was he to be weary of what lay under the ground? Unfortunately for the Shinobi, he had not thought about what might come from above. Sasori's puppet, Phoenix, swooped at him, easily grabbing the male in its claws. The man, taken aback, gave a yell and tried to think of a Jutsu which he could use to get out of the situation he was currently in. Not fast enough. Sasori activated the flamethrowers in Phoenix's feet, and the man didn't even get to scream as he was suddenly burnt to a crisp. His charred body was dropped to the ground carelessly, and Phoenix began to circle the area. "I'm done."

"Me to." His voice was pleased and full of dignity, "Reseal your puppets and restart formation. Are there anymore coming?" Sasori did as he was instructed by his 'equal' and resealed his puppets except for Spit, Roan and his Rats. The red head re-established chakra strings to the other three espionage puppets, scouting the area briefly through all their eyes at once before he reported that he sighted no one else. "Good then." Takeo calmly picked up Spit's cloak and put it back onto the puppet, pulling up the hood. "Keep watching."

-x-

Sasori wasn't on patrol that day, so he and Karura were simply walking about the village. "So how is the new team of Genin treating you?" They stopped off at a small tea shop for lunch, sitting down at a table for two.

"They're alright, but I think that all three of them are too immature for nine year olds." She gave a sigh and a waitress came to take their order - both requested green tea and a plate of Pork Dim Sum between them. The woman nodded and left to fetch the two children their orders.

"Nine years old? We were probably more serious when we were only five…They're getting slacker with the younger generations." Sasori sneered as if he himself had been brought up in the correct fashion and that he wasn't secretly psychotic. "I hope that you are bringing them up suitably."

"I try," she gave a sigh, "but since I'm only four years older than they are, the trio don't exactly take me _seriously_ all the time." Karura flicked her hair in a somewhat frustrated fashion, twitching her nose subtly. "Honestly it gets damn well annoying after a while."

"Pfft, stupid runts. You're only four years older than them, but you're a million years more skilled. Hell, Karura, you are more powerful and…Amazing than those idiots will ever be…Put together." Every word was true.

The blonde smirked at her best friend, "Wow, Sasori, you're going to make me blush." She shot him a sneaky wink, and then batted her eyelashes sweetly. The red head snorted and the waitress returned with their orders. They both thanked her and Sasori immediately took a sip of his tea. "So enough about my little snob nosed brats; how is patrolling going?" She shoved a Dim Sum into her mouth.

"It's alright; you learn a colourful vocabulary from the people that are trying to invade our home." He gave a shrug. "I've already learnt four new - probably inappropriate - phrases." Sasori took a soothing sip of his tea and then put the cup down with a clack. "I am working with this guy who is probably twenty or twenty-one years old, and despite the fact that we are supposed to be equals, he can't help but bark orders at me. I'm perfectly capable of killing a few Konoha-Crows…"

Karura gave a shrug, swallowing her food with a sip of green tea. "Different generations. He probably feels the same way about us as we do about my adorable little ogres." She sighed and took another sip. "What's this guys name anyway?"

"Well, it seems he doesn't like revealing his true first name to people." Sasori shrugged and took a sensible bite of a Dim Sum. "The alias he told me to call him is Takeo."

Karura raised an eyebrow at him, "Takeo? Let me guess; dead eyes, brown hair, hates it when you bad mouth his 'beloved' village?" Sasori gave a blank nod. "I know the kook; had a crush on him once when I was little." She gave the red head a mischievous grin, "But don't worry, Sweetie, you're my only True Love and I'll never replace you~" Sasori gave her an unimpressed look, taking another sip of his tea. "But anyway, he is really strong, fairly conceited though, and I think that he is somehow related to the Third; maybe they're cousins…They have the same magnetic Kekkei Genkai anyway. I bet if there were ever a vacuum of power, he'd be the one to step in and become the Kazekage."

"Yeah, I bet that would be the best possible occupation he could ever hope for. He certainly could be strong enough to become one, but he is no where near as strong as the Third." Sasori gave a smirk. "If you can take down a Kazekage, then you might as well be one yourself."

Karura gave a laugh. "It sounds to me like you're contemplating taking down the Third Kazekage, Sweetie. Silly Sasori; that's treason~!"

Sasori rolled his eyes, "Unlike you, I am smart enough to know that I am no where near as strong he is." The red head gave a sigh and smirked at the blonde. "Besides, the outfit wouldn't suit me…And I wouldn't like the idea of being couped up inside of that tiny office and the thought of not being able to go to my Den alone."

"I'm sure you would find a way," Karura smiled at him too innocently, "plus I reckon the outfit would look super sexy on you~" She giggled and took Sasori's partly eaten Dim Sum, finishing it off for him. The red head sneered and began eating a new one. "I've made up my mind." She straightened up and created an aura of seriousness, as if she were going to say something deep and meaningful. Sasori gave her his full attention, silently thinking that just maybe his best friend had finally grown to be slightly more mature. She leaned over close to him, and gave him a sly look, narrowing her eyes. "I'll only marry you if you become the _Fourth_ Kazekage."

Sasori gave her an exceedingly irritated glare, putting his hand to the girl's forehead and pushing Karura away from him. "And here I thought that you were actually going to say something astute for once." He sighed as if disappointed and shook his head sullenly.

"Hey," Karura gave a rare pout, looking at her best friend with her dark yet shimmering teal eyes, her iris' laced with the usual passion for youth and life, "I was being entirely serious. I know you might not like it, but that is my offer; I will not marry you unless you become the Fourth Kazekage." She gave a loud 'hmph' and crossed her arms stubbornly, but then gave him a sly smirk. "Or maybe I'll just go marry that Takeo guy instead~?"

"I don't want to marry anyone." Sasori stated rather bluntly, taking a last sip of his tea, putting it down with an extra large clank. "And if I ever did, then you would be the last person I'd want to spend my life with."

Karura stuck her tongue out at the red head and took the last Dim Sum, eating it primly. "So what if I'm not the fancy kind of girl?" She grinned at the red head and took a rather sluggish bite of the Dim Sum, talking with her mouth full. "I'm me, and you love me."

Sasori rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his blood red hair. "Firstly, I don't 'love' you." Whatever that stupid emotion was, "Secondly, I have no intention of becoming the Fourth Kazekage now or ever. Thirdly, I will never love you. And lastly, I can promise you right now that I will never ever ever ever get married or fall in love with you or anyone for that matter; I'm asexual."

Karura finished off the Dim Sum she had been eating and drank the last of her tea. "Geez," she gave a sigh and raised an eyebrow at her best friend, "you are really set on not marrying me. What are you; gay?" Sasori gave her an utterly offended look, and it was her turn to roll her eyes. "I'm just joking. But seriously, you have to promise."

"You call me gay…And then you go off about us getting married…I just told you I was asexual!" The red head glared at her, still irked off by the homosexual comment she had just made. "Honestly, what is it with you women?" He sighed and subtly tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow at his best friend while still glaring. "You all just love to do…Completely pointless things…" Sasori smirked at her and actually gave a small sarcastic chuckle.

Karura frowned at him, and gave an exasperated sigh. "_Yeah_, because making comments like that _really _makes you sound like you're into boobs…" Sasori once again repeated the fact that he was 'asexual', causing Karura to roll her eyes. "I heard. But what is it with you men and not wanting to make promises? Seriously, you don't even plan on becoming the Fourth Kazekage anyway." She smiled at him with that odd smile which only Karura possessed and only Sasori could receive. "Please?"

"…" Sasori frowned and gave a sigh of deliberate defeat. "Fine." He brought his hand from beneath the table and held it out for her to shake. "I, Sasori Yoshiko, promise that I will marry you if I ever become the Fourth Kazekage."

Karura smirked at him and took the red head's hand in her own. "I, Karura Kumiko, promise that if you ever become the Fourth Kazekage, then I will let you have my hand in marriage."

Their nearly identical bracelets clanked against each other peacefully, as if sealing the promise with a full stop. The scorpion and the wolf which were carved into the silver bands shone bleakly, as if knowing that the agreement would never come to be.


	13. Sasori of the Red Sand

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirteen

Sasori of the Red Sand

Fourteen Years Old

Sasori was spending his day off of patrol by reading an interesting scroll that he had

'borrowed' from the Kazekage's secret library. The red head was enthralled by the power offered by the information; it was about a test that had been conducted to try and give Kekkei Genkai to people who had not inherited any. According to the scroll, they had tried to insert solid DNA into twenty test subjects.

Seventeen had died almost immediately after birth, but three had lasted past the three week mark. The notes went on to say of how one had not lasted past the first month, and another had died just after one year. There were side notes made about the single survivor.

'Subject to facial deformities. Placed into Ninja Academy. Graduated at age seven. Placed into Team Three under the guidance of Misaki Satomi.' The hand writing after that changed, as if someone else were writing. 'Daichi's Dojutsu is fully capable of summoning tornadoes.' Sasori easily recognised the writing style of his Sensei, Misaki Satomi. 'Devoted and loyal to his friends, Sasori and Karura. _Too_ loyal to friends. Killed at age eight by Sasori Yoshiko. Good riddance.'

Sasori sneered at the notes written by his Sensei, and closed the scroll, but his facial expression soon relaxed, "…Hmmm…But being able to give one a Kekkei Genkai…Even if they don't have the right bloodline…" The red head stood up and moved over to the cage where Pakura slept soundly inside. He looked at his human guinea pig for a few thoughtful minutes, before giving a subtle frown.

-x-

"There is a large group coming from the North." Sasori observed through one of his Rats, reporting to Takeo. "I'm not sure how many there are, but it is the largest group we have seen so far."

"Any odd characteristics?" Takeo seemed to be somewhat on edge.

"…" Sasori dropped his vision of the other Rats and focused on the northern puppet. "The clothes they are wearing aren't just from one nation…As far as I can see; there are people from the Earth Country, Rain Country, and Lightning Country. Some of them are wearing Shinobi headbands, but some of them just look like refugees…"

"Okay then; do you remember what the cue is?" Sasori gave a response of agreement, "Good then, I will question them first."

-x-

The group reached Takeo and stopped walking. "Yo, Dude," a girl who wore a Kumogakure flak jacket and headband seemed to be leading the group, "we are a group o' both Shinobi and Refugees who are goddamn sick o' war. You hearin' me, bro?" She clicked her fingers a few times. "Well Dude, we're 'ere ta bring any peepz who wanna leave their village in order to come with us. We're gonna set up a small place in the Land of Tea until this war blows over. Anyone is free to join, even the two o' you." She motioned to Takeo and Spit, not knowing that the latter was actually a puppet.

"Just one moment, I need to talk to my associate. Sasori, I'll need your input in working out whether we should let this group through or not."

"Very well; I'm coming up." There was a sudden disturbance of sand as Sasori brought Roan back to the surface. The people seemed shocked as the giant scorpion appeared, and Sasori opened the hatch, revealing himself to the newcomers, but he remained seated inside of his puppet, "Hello."

There were heaps of people there; the majority appeared to just be seeking refuge and peace, though a few definitely were Shinobi. Sasori gave them all a critical look and then gazed to Takeo. The brunette looked back at him, and then faced the people. "Sunagakure needs all of the people we have. We do not want your group taking any vital Shinobi; our residents are perfectly safe, and we are doing our absolute most to protect the people of Sunagakure."

"Chill, Dude," the woman waved her hands at them in surrender, "we ain't here to diss ya. We just know that durin' the last war, a lot o' innocent peeps got killed." The Kumogakure Shinobi clicked her fingers a few more times, the annoying act appearing to be a small shtick of hers. "It'll be what is best for your village."

…Sasori knew right then that all of the people - and not just the girl - were going to feel the wrath of Takeo. "What is _best _for our village? How dare you come here and say that you know what is _best _for my home! I'll tell you what would have been the best for everyone?" The prideful brunette spat at the people. "If you had never come here!"

The brunette shot the red head a certain look, and Sasori knew exactly what the other had in mind. Kill them all.

Roan's hatch shut with a snap and Spit tilted his head. Poisoned senbon shot out at the large group. The Kumogakure Jonin managed to dodge, but some others were not so fortunate. Screams filled the air and the fight began. Sasori had hit many with his poison, but he had barely made a dent in the group. He did, however, succeed in dividing the group into two, though more had fallen onto his side than Takeo's.

Sasori began to spin Spit and the cloak went flying off to reveal the weapons beneath. Some screamed and Sasori sent his puppet diving into the mass. Spit began to hack up anyone who came into a close range of him, innocent blood gushing all over the sand. The red head summoned both Turquoise and Salamander and he began to control them as well in attacking both refugees and Shinobi. Turquoise was rolling over people, impaling them with its many spikes, whilst Salamander was making short work of them with his flamethrower.

A few of the Shinobi regained their composure from the initial surprise attack and - familiar with the art of puppetry - lunged at Roan with the intent of killing Sasori. The red head rolled his eyes and began either stabbing them with Roan's poisonous tail or chopping them in half with the scorpion's claws.

Blood was spilling everywhere, and yet Sasori was starting to struggle. There were so many people and he was getting impatient. He hadn't even killed half of them yet, and they were starting to run in all directions in a fluster of panic. Sasori frowned in concentration and made a split decision. He summoned all of his marionettes except for his Human Puppets, including Cephalo, Phoenix, Black Ant, Crow, and Tyke. Sasori released the strings on his Rats and instead divided his Chakra Threads between his nine puppets. One Chakra String per marionette, excluding Roan who had two attached to him.

He could control them enough with just one each, much to his surprise. Sasori could feel the power and the blood thirst taking hold of his body and the red head gave a loud sadistic laugh as he threw his puppets full force at the worthless mortals. The first one to be killed during this self-righteous rampage was that fucking Kumogakure Shinobi who had had the bright idea to lead the people to the pair of Sunagakure Shinobi and to their fate.

-x-

They were all finally dead.

The hatch on Roan opened up and the red head stepped out of it, looking around at the battle scene. The sand was dyed red with the blood of both the innocent and the guilty. Sasori slowly blinked and commanded all of his puppets over to him. "…" They stood, similar to soldiers waiting to be given orders; loyal only to the red head who had created them and to no one else. "I am so proud." Sasori gave a cruel smile at his miniature army.

"I haven't seen puppetry that good from anyone…except from your grandmother, Chiyo." The red head looked over to Takeo, who had successfully accomplished his massacre as well. "You really are a Jonin." The brunette walked over to him and Sasori sealed all of his puppets - except for Roan - into their scrolls. Takeo looked out over the pool of blood, limbs, clothes and gore that spread out before them, "…You really are a monster." He meant it as a compliment.

"Thank you." Sasori felt eerily content with everything; he had just killed so many people. Shinobi, men, women, children, babies, and he hadn't even cared – he still didn't care. Sasori had truly become what Sunagakure and the Land of Wind had wanted him to be ever since he had been born. A heartless killing machine. If only his parents could see him now, they would be so proud of him~

Takeo walked forward and dipped his fingers into the pool of blood. He turned around and the brunette walked in front of Sasori, holding his hand over the red head's countenance. "From now on I dub you…" Takeo replaced the five fingerprints which Sasori had been reprinting on his face ever since he had been seven with five more fingerprints made of pure innocent blood, "…Sasori of the Red Sand."

-o-

And that is how I gained my nickname that I would carry around for the rest of my life. Every single Bingo Book that had my image and information printed inside of it…You never once saw written the name 'Sasori Yoshiko'…The only title that would ever be printed – in the hope of being addressed as such - was that nickname.

Over the course of my life I gradually lost my real name; I turned into the monster known as 'Sasori of the Red Sand'.

Thank you, Takeo…Thank you, future Fourth Kazekage.

-o-

Sasori and Takeo stood in front of the Third Kazekage, having just reported the carnage that they had committed. He sat as he had the last time; with hands beneath his chin and a thoughtful, wise gaze upon his countenance. Jishaku gently hummed a few notes of an indistinguishable song before he spoke. "I am glad that you did this; the group could have started a riot, or they may have stolen some of our precious people." He turned in his chair and looked out of the round window of the office, watching the sunset. "How many were there again?"

"I do not know." Takeo gave a shrug, even though the Kazekage probably didn't notice the act, "Over a hundred at least. Most of them were not Shinobi, but there were approximately twenty-five who ranged between Genin and Jonin."

"…Yes…" He turned back to them a few moments later, "You really did what was best for Sunagakure. I am proud of the both of you." The Third Kazekage placed his hands onto the table, and gave them a small smirk. "You have done well…Takeo…Sasori of the Red Sand…"

-x-

"Wow," Karura grinned at him widely from across the Den, "Sasori of the Red Sand? Now that is just sexy~" The red head gave a harsh sigh and rolled his eyes. He continued to pull out the organs of the Kumogakure Shinobi from earlier - after he had left the Third Kazekage's office, he had returned to the area and secretly retrieved the girl's body.

He was currently turning her into a puppet while Karura sat on the opposite side of the Den with Pakura sleeping in her lap. The blonde motherly stroked the six year old's hair, teasing the red head as always. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just because the only nickname they would ever give to you would be 'Karura of the Loud Mouth'." Sasori turned in the chair as he began to work on the heart, "Kumogakure Shinobi specialise in Lightning abilities, don't they?"

"As far as I am sure." Karura gave a simple shrug. "Misaki Sensei specialises in Lightning Jutsu as well, doesn't she?" Sasori nodded in agreement. "I am Wind Elemental…And you don't know what yours is, do you?"

"Why would I need elemental Jutsu if I have puppets? When they are Human Puppets I am free to use any of their Jutsu through them." Sasori smirked, "So why bother limiting myself to only one element?"

"Well, it is possible to know two at once…" Karura gave a shrug, and then smirked once more. "But even two isn't enough for you, is it? Mr Perfection?" She continued to pet Pakura's head as if the girl were simply a dog.

"Two isn't enough." Sasori turned back around as he finished on the heart, petting Asuko twice before setting back to work on converting the Kumogakure-Nin's body into a puppet. "And I am _not _Mr Perfection."

Karura snickered far too loudly, "Yeah, more like Mr Anal." Sasori slipped and accidentally broke one of the skeleton's ribs.

The red head shot the blonde a daggered glare and then set to work on fixing the rib, "What the fuck is it with you and gay jokes?"

"Whoa, what is with the colourful language, Sweetie~?" Karura rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Honestly, these Shinobi that you are fighting are really brightening up your vocabulary." She stuck her tongue out and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "We don't wanna be using the same kind of language as they do; Sunagakure has standards."

"I guess…" Sasori gave up on trying to repair the broken rib and simply tossed it into the pile of organs. It wasn't really needed anyway. The red head set to work on scraping the flesh from the Kumogakure-Nin's skin. "Hey, Karura…Do you remember your little brother?"

The blonde gave a laugh, "Yashamaru? Course I remember him silly! He has been assigned to a group of Genin, though not to the one I am. Personally, I reckon that he should try and become a Chunin, but oh well. He's also been a bit down since you can't teach him anymore, what with patrol and-"

"Not that little brother…" Sasori finished scraping the flesh from on arm, and started on the next one. "I meant your brother who was stillborn nine years ago. Do you remember him?"

"…" Karura was quiet for a few seconds, continuing to stroke Pakura's hair. "The carving I did of him is still on the wall out the front of this cave…Though it is weather worn, and barely distinguishable…But I can still see him every single time I come here…"

"He would be nine if he were still alive…" Sasori finished on the second arm and started on the legs. "But how did you actually feel when he died?"

"…" Karura shuffled into a slightly more comfortable position, Pakura still remaining asleep on her lap. "It depends; back then I was so upset…But now I just feel indifferent and aloof towards it all…"

"…" Sasori gave a nod and continued to talk. "It is the same as with my parents. When I was five, I cried so much when they died…And now I simply believe that I was a stupid little runt. Part of me says that I did not need parents, and that I never did in the first place."

Karura gave a nod and got to her feet, picking Pakura up in her arms. She carried the child back to the cell and placed her down inside of it without waking the girl, "And?" The blonde walked out of the cage and locked the door behind her. She traipsed to the red head, completely unfazed by the sight of flesh being scraped from skin. "What about the other part?"

Sasori was quiet for a few seconds, before he placed the tool down onto the table. He turned and looked up at the standing girl while wearing a slight frown, "The other part of me craves the parental affection which I never had as a child."

Karura gave him a sad smile and placed her forehead against Sasori's, the latter's being covered by his Sunagakure headband. They stared into each others eyes, Sasori's no longer as innocent as they had once been and Karura's still filled with their old enthusiasm. Both pairs of eyes showed prominent signs of psychosis. "Don't worry, Sweetie." With that said, Karura pressed their lips together in their first kiss.

Sasori instinctively pressed his right, blood covered hand against the blonde's cheek. He didn't know what the fuck was happening; Karura was kissing him…It wasn't bad…But it didn't feel as nice as the red head had perceived his first kiss to be. He didn't understand why it felt so stupidly flawed, even though his commonsense told him that it was right.

As soon as it had begun, it was over. Karura pulled their lips apart and wrapped her arms around the red head in a hug. Sasori just let the girl hold him, putting his hands onto the table while giving an annoyed frown, "Can I _please_ get back to work?"

Karura let go of the red head and grinned down at him. "Sure." She put her hand to her cheek to see that Sasori had smeared half of her face with blood. Karura walked over to the water tank and used a small amount of water from it to wash the red off. "But…What about Daichi?"

"…" Sasori quietly stopped working once more and gave the girl a thoughtful look for a few seconds. He slowly shook his head and returned to work. "I just don't care about death anymore. People die and we live on. If I'm going to live forever, then Death is going to become a good friend of mine."

"…What if I were to die?" Sasori's hands stilled from the question, but he didn't turn to look at his best friend. "Would you be upset?"

"…" The red head slowly forced his fingers to once again continue work on the puppet as if he were unaffected, "I would be sad for a time…But not forever. As I said, people die; you are no exception." Sasori had never really thought about the death of his best friend. He wanted to live forever, but he couldn't imagine how he could bare to live without her. She was the only one who would agree with him, no matter what he said or did. Karura was loyal, and most of all, she was his favourite puppet.

The girl gave a laugh and grinned widely at him. "Okay then, but if I die, then please don't turn my body into a doll. Not that I wouldn't love to be one; but I would rather my body be in the ground rather than on display." Sasori simply gave a nod, continuing to work. "…So any ideas for a name for this puppet?"

"I'm not sure…" Sasori looked over the unfinished body, giving a hum. "Well, she was an idiot for leading all of those Refugees to Sunagakure…So I think that I will call her 'Baka'."

Karura gave a loud laugh, turning and grinning widely at the red head. "Baka? I think that that is the best ever name you have come up with." She snorted and laughed once more at the grotesque joke. "So how much longer will it be?"

Sasori gave a simply shrug, getting back to scraping the flesh away from the skin. "Not sure; at least another hour." He gave a sigh, "You can give Asuko that bucket of blood to drink if you want to."

"Can do~" Karura finished washing the blood from her cheek and picked up the bucket, carrying it over to the plant. "Hello Asuko!" The Venus flytrap gave a happy bark, as if it were a dog, and began to lap up the blood as soon as Karura placed the bucket next to it. The blonde laughed and sat down in the seat next to Sasori. "Honestly, you have the coolest stuff ever; a plant that barks, a secret Den, and even a human as a pet!" She gave another laugh and smirked at him, "Consider me jealous."

Sasori gave a sigh and rolled his eyes. "I got all of this stuff through a little something called 'Hard Work', you should try it sometime." The red head looked at her, "And you still have a bit of blood on your cheek." Karura blinked and rubbed it off, Sasori giving a nod to signify her accomplishment…Wait…Blood… "I think I just had an idea…"

"Huh? An idea about what?" Karura grinned at him. "An idea about how to become the Fourth Kazekage so that you can marry me?"

"No," Sasori shot her an annoyed look, "and shut up about that. Like hell I'd become the Kazekage just so I could marry an idiot like you." The blonde gave a shrug and a yawn. "Pfft." The red head sneered and looked back at the body as he began work on de-fleshing the torso. "But, anyway, I just had an idea…" Sasori looked over his shoulder for a few seconds at the cell where Pakura still slept soundly, "I just had an idea for an experiment I've been thinking of."


	14. ANBU Black Ops

As White as Blood

Chapter Fourteen

ANBU Black Ops

Sasori gave a hum as he examined the tablet that he had just made; it was a variation of the Blood Pill, but instead of replenishing the blood of the consumer, it replaced it with a different blood type. The red head examined it for a little while longer and then stood up. "Pakura, I need you to swallow this tablet." Sasori walked over to the cage and looked inside. The blonde girl stood up from the floor, carrying her Dolly with her, walking over to the cell bars. She didn't ask any questions as Sasori handed the small tablet to her and Pakura put the pill straight into her mouth, silently swallowing it, looking up at the red head for further instructions…"Feel anything? Pain? Numbness? Nausea? Anything…?"

Pakura was still for a few seconds, until the girl's expression abruptly changed. She gave a gagging noise and Sasori quickly covered her mouth, encouraging the girl not to vomit the tablet back up. She cringed but didn't throw up, giving a muffled moan of agonizing pain. Pakura's eyes suddenly widened and she pulled away from the red head's hand in order to release a loud, bloodcurdling scream. She flung her arms violently around her stomach and tears began falling from her eyes due to the intense pain. Sasori watched as she collapsed onto the floor and began rolling around in incomprehensible agony; Pakura continued to scream and sob at the same time. The young girl began to sweat blood from her pores, the redness mixing with her chaste tears, and Sasori guessed that the tablet was working, replacing Pakura's blood with the one which was evident inside of the pill.

After a few minutes, Pakura simply lay almost-limp on her side in a pool of her own old blood; shaking and quietly sobbing, but at least she was still alive "..." Sasori gave a hum in thought and went to get the girl a bowl of water. As soon as he had retrieved it, he walked back over to the cell where Pakura was still in the same position on the floor. "Here." Sasori held the bowl through the bars and the girl instantly stopped sobbing as if having forgotten about her master's presence. She slowly sat up and turned slowly to gaze absently at the red head. Her face was stained with both fresh tears and crimson blood. The girl was completely still for a few seconds before she gave an uncharacteristic glare.

"Get away from me!" Suddenly, a glowing yellow orb formed mid air in front of her. Sasori instinctively dropped the bowl and leapt away from the cell; a good thing to. The water from the bowl and the bloody puddle suddenly evaporated into thin air. Sasori blinked at the girl and the glowing orb which hung around her.

"…I see it was a…success." The red head swallowed and straightened out of his battle stance, not at all worried despite the fact that his highly trained instincts had just barely saved him from certain death, "…Good…It really was a more successful method than replacing body organs…" He gave a hum of thought and moved over to his working table, shaking very slightly, picking up the sketch book he had been given six years ago. Sasori began writing notes about his experiment, as if trying to settle his nerves, "…But it is too early to conclude if it is an overall success…"

He gave a slight sigh of relief as he at last got over the initial shock of the near death experience and continued to write into his notebook, though at a slower pace. Sasori looked over his shoulder to see that the glowing orb had vanished completely, and Pakura simply sat stiffly with her Dolly clutched to her chest.

She was crying.

-x-

Sasori sat, quietly meditating on the floor of his old bedroom. He didn't spend a lot of time at his house anymore as he now considered the Den as his permanent 'Home'. But he didn't trust Pakura for the time being, so no way was he going to be sleeping within a close proximity to her. She would eventually calm down, but it could take a few days or so before she finally got over it. Surely Sasori had done worse to her and she had forgiven him sooner; she didn't have a choice.

"Sasori?" The red head opened one eye to see his granny enter his bedroom, giving a slight nod of recognition, "My, you are rarely home anymore." She smiled at him and sat down on the bed, close to the red head. "I don't know whether or not to be worried about you…"

"I can take care of myself, Granny Chiyo." Sasori once again closed his single open eye and continued to meditate, trying to give the woman a hint that he didn't want her fucking company.

"Oh, you are just like your father." She didn't take the hint. "You are fourteen years old, Sasori; you need to start thinking about the future."

"I don't need to think about the future. I'm going to live forever, and that is the only thing that I need to know." He didn't like the woman as much as he had when he had been young.

Chiyo abruptly gave a laugh, "Okay then, give me a visit when you become Eternal." She gave a sigh, and the red head was profoundly offended by the comment, though he was above petty arguing with his own grandmother. She just didn't understand; no one did. "But seriously speaking, Sasori, you have to think about the future…Are you going to be marrying that Karura girl?"

"Apparently she won't marry me unless I become the Fourth Kazekage." Sasori gave a shrug and tried to continue meditating, but the woman just wouldn't leave him alone.

"Oh, I would be so proud of you if you became the Fourth Kazekage..." The woman gave a reminiscent sigh and a small smile, "I'm sure that if your parents saw you now they would be just as proud of you as I am..."

Sasori resisted the urge to choke on his tongue; yeah right, his parents would probably be horrified if they saw what a monster the red head had turned into ever since they had left him when he had been only five years old…Or perhaps they would be proud to see that he had become the very thing that Sunagakure wanted him to be. A killing machine. "Granny Chiyo, could I please meditate?" Maybe now she would take the hint.

"Oh..." She seemed taken aback slightly, but Sasori had his eyes closed so he could not see her expression. "…If you must..." The woman actually had the nerve to give him a kiss on his forehead as if he were still a little kid, "Good night then, Sasori. Sweet dreams." With that said she left the room and the red head was finally given peace from the suffocating woman. The first thing he did was wipe any residue of the kiss off of his forehead before he finally returned to meditating. 

-x-

"How are we today?" Pakura sat curled up in the back corner of her cage, still cuddling her Dolly close though he didn't know if she was crying or not. Sasori could tell that she was at least still alive as she was rocking slowly, and singing a small song softly which the red head guessed had been a lullaby that her parents had originally sung to her. It was strange that she could remember something as intricate as a lullaby, and yet she had never been able to even recall her own name.

"Our little daughter,

Our only light.

We'll always guide you  
>and hide you from their sight.<p>

We would give our life

Just to save your own.

But no matter, we're here

For your heart is our home.

So just remember

The past we can't rewind.

But no matter what,  
>You won't be left behind." <p>

Sasori rolled his eyes at the stupid song that Pakura's parents had once promised her; they had told the orphan that they would never leave her, and now she was alone in the red head's cell. Where were her parents now? A part of Sasori's collection. But the red head couldn't bring him self to care that he had stolen this girl's parents from her when she had been only four, just as the war had taken Sasori's own Mummy and Daddy when he had been only five. She could deal with it; the same had happened to the red head and yet he was still mentally sound…

He watched at how desperately she clutched at her only friend - the Doll - cradling the construct against her flat chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world to her...Probably because it _was_ the most precious thing in the world to her...

Sasori rolled his eyes; the stupid song the girl was singing was just giving him a headache. The red head growled after losing what little patience he possessed, "Shut the hell up already! No matter how much you sing, your parents are not going to come back! I cried for hours when I was five and they never came back from the war! They never came back for their beloved son! They never came back for _me_! We're the same; our parents didn't care about us enough to stay alive!" He succeeded in shutting the girl up, but she continued to rock herself and her Dolly without any sign of stopping. "You heard me, right? They're dead. They're my Art now." With that said, Sasori turned and left his Den, heading towards his patrol section with a bitter taste in his mouth. Fucking hell!

-x-

Sasori turned and left his bedroom with the intent of making a trip to see the Kazekage, but he was interrupted by the sound of weeping. He frowned and moved into the kitchen, surprised to find Chiyo crying with her brother Ebizo there comforting her. The red head blinked and traipsed inquisitively over to the table, taking a seat next to his old mentor, "What's wrong, Granny Chiyo?"

The woman jumped slightly, having not heard the red head approach, and she quickly hid her face from him, not wanting Sasori to see her like this. Ebizo comforted her and gave the fourteen year old an apologetic look, though he couldn't smile, "Sasori…The man known as the White Fang of Konoha…The man who killed your parents has committed suicide…"

The red head blinked and frowned, not really knowing why Chiyo would receive that news in such a negative way. "THE COWARD!" The woman continued to weep bitterly, "HE TOOK THE COWARD'S WAY OUT! I WAS GOING TO HUNT HIM DOWN AND GET REVENGE FOR WHAT HE DID TO MY SON AND HIS WIFE! FOR WHAT HE DID TO MY GRANDCHILD!" She stood up from the table violently, and Ebizo had to calm her down and make the woman take her seat once more, continuing her cry of frustration.

Sasori still didn't see what was so depressing with the situation since he had long since stopped caring for his parents; they were just a distant memory now that he could barely even remember. Whatever the thing called 'Love' was, his parents had obviously held no such emotion for their only son.

The red head stood up from the chair, giving both older relatives a small nod as he turned and made his way to a particular room that he now rarely visited.

-x-

Sasori stood in the old Creation Room where he had made his first puppets ever. A small box near the end of the room held two familiar scrolls and the fourteen year old opened the container, opening both of the rolls of paper. One held perfect markings, while the other was the same as the other, but far sloppier. They were the markings of one who had never even drawn a seal before. Sasori summoned the puppets from the scrolls and attached his chakra strings to them as he had done so long ago. The marionettes of his parents stood proudly before him.

Sasori had put all of his soul and all of his stupid emotions into creating the two puppets, and now he considered them worthless. The red head wanted so badly to destroy the two abominations, to wipe them from the face of the Earth as the failures that they were. Sasori snickered and made them walk around for a bit. Their limbs creaked from misuse and they were not as good at walking as Sasori's newer puppets were.

The red head snickered and resealed the useless dolls into their scrolls, placing both rolls of paper back into the box. Whatever.

Why had he even created them in the first place? They had no weaponry, so they couldn't be used in battle. If one were to look at them, it was easy to tell that they were puppets, so they were not good at deceiving. And they didn't even have any armour, so the two puppets were not much of a defence. They were absolutely useless, and yet, nine years ago he had actually made them.

He felt embarrassed to call the two parental look-alikes his very first puppets; they didn't _deserve_ that title.

-x-

Sasori stood in the Third Kazekage's office, standing straight and proper as he had been trained to do so. The man sat with his usual whimsical look, hands folded beneath his chin neatly; "You wished to see me, Sasori of the Red Sand?"

"Yes sir." Sasori gave the required bow of acknowledgment; the red head had never been alone with the Kazekage ever before, and it was quite unnerving to be at the centre of such a renowned Shinobi's attention. "I have come today to make a request…" The man gave a thoughtful noise and did not tell Sasori to stop talking, so he continued; "I want to become an ANBU Black Ops."

"..." The man unfolded his hands and placed them both down on the desk, palms pressed against the flat surface. "I apologize, Sasori of the Red Sand, but you are apparently not cut out to be one of my ANBU Black Ops."

Huh? "What do you mean 'not cut out to be'? I am one of the best Puppet Masters that this village has and will ever see." Sasori was shocked; he had honestly thought that the Kazekage would have adored the idea of having one such as himself as a part of the ANBU Black Ops…

"I know that, Sasori, and you would indeed make an excellent ANBU…But it is more complicated than that." Jishaku leaned back in his chair and the red head noticed an intent desire in his eyes; a need to shed himself of the shackles of the office and to be free; to return to his life of protecting the village by getting his hands dirty as opposed to this boring occupation he had signed up for. "I actually consulted your past Sensei, Misaki Satomi, concerning the matter." He - again - leaned forward and placed his hands beneath his chin, giving the red head his full attention; "And she told me that you are not emotionally suited for the job."

Sasori blinked at the harsh man, feeling absolutely offended by his words; "What do you mean 'not emotionally suited for the job'?" The red head forced his feelings of anger and hatred down into the pit of his stomach, but with little success, "I am perfect for the job, I know that the mission always comes first and I put my life on the line continuously; you know that I am more than suitable to be an ANBU Black Ops."

"I know that the majority of the qualities we seek in new members are evident in you, but you forget that the mission is not everything." Sasori's eyes widened in surprise; the Kazekage was giving him a look so serious, and it actually _scared _the red head with its bitter intimidation. "We teach you that the goal is always more important than the road that leads to achieving it; but the real test is whether you actually survive that road in the first place…We do want you to accomplish the mission. But we want as few casualties as possible." The man continued to give Sasori the hard look, and then he asked the fourteen year old the million dollar question. "What is human life…to _you_?"

"Human life?" Sasori blinked at the man, before his own expression dropped so that he appeared calmly bitter. The red head traipsed forward and slammed his hands onto the table, challengingly staring into the superior man's eyes. "Human life…" Sasori practically spat the rest of his words with a tone that was absolutely acidic; "Human life is _nothing_." It was like the punch line to some stupid joke.

They both continued to stare at each other harshly until the brunette gave the fourteen year old a sly smirk, "Precisely my point; you view others as insignificant, but your own life on the other hand…You might risk certain death on a mission, but you will never value the village's wellbeing over your own life. You would never give up your own life to save someone else…And so you see, Sasori of the Red Sand…" He stood up, revealing that he towered above the fourteen year old in both height and intimidation, "Is the exact reason why you will never advance beyond being a Jonin…You're unpredictable, you're unstable, but most of all; you're power hungry. You are not satisfied and you never will be, even if I did give you the position as an ANBU Black Ops; nothing good would come of it."

"…" Sasori sneered and glared up at the superior male, keeping the majority of his anger deep inside of him. Oh how he _wished_ that he could just _kill_ this old man and make him into a puppet. HE WAS PRACTICALLY SAYING THAT SASORI HAD NO FUTURE! "What if I become the Fourth Kazekage?" He gave a cruel smirk at his elder, as if already planning to overthrow him.

"Anyone can become the Kazekage…If he is worthy enough of the title…But there are limits in life, Sasori of the Red Sand." The man's sly smile fell as he once again switched from speaking cruelly to being wisely true. "You need to accept that fact…In your life there will be a point where you have reached the very top of the hill…And then the only fate which awaits you after that is to come tumbling back down…The higher you climb, the harder you fall." They stood in silence for a few seconds, before the Third Kazekage sat back down in his chair. He trimly set his hands beneath his jaw as he always did, tilting his head subtly to the right. "I believe that we are finished talking, Sasori of the Red Sand. Your request of becoming an ANBU Black Ops is regrettably denied; have a nice day though."

Sasori glared harder at the man, bitterness tasting so foul within his mouth, "I'm going to live for Eternity…" The red head tore his hands from the desk as if it were on fire and he partly turned, still glaring at the aging man; "So that on the day when I finally do reach the top…" He gave the worthless mortal a malicious grin, his eyes widening into a maniacal expression; "I will never go tumbling back down that stupid hill~" With that established, his usual calm countenance returned and Sasori turned, marching self-triumphantly out of the office.

-x-

Sasori was so fucking angry.

All of the rage he had kept buried inside of him was bubbling hotter, and the red head was practically a ticking time bomb. He arrived to his Den, only to hear Pakura was still continuously singing her small, untrue lullaby.

Sasori couldn't take it. He marched over to the cell and practically ripped the door open.

The red head stomped over to the girl, shaking with absolute rage; "Kill me." Pakura looked up at him in two seconds flat, terrified of the red head's wrath. "Come on, bitch; kill me! Summon that weird fucking ball thing and fucking KILL ME!" If he couldn't advance beyond being a Jonin, then there was no reason for him to keep on living.

She simply stared up at him, petrified and clutching her Dolly close, not knowing what to do. Sasori gave an animalistic growl and grabbed the six year old girl, wrenching her up by her shoulders. She gave a cry of absolute terror, dropping her doll to the ground. Sasori pinned her against the wall, unable to control his rage.

"KILL ME ALREADY YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Pakura began to cry and wail at the same time, but no matter how much the red head screamed at her, the glowing orb didn't appear. Sasori sneered and threw the girl carelessly to the ground. "USELESS!" He slapped her hard across the face to which she responded by giving a whimper of pain and proceeding to try and curl up into a defensive ball.

Pakura's attempt to escape the red head's wrath failed and he grabbed her leg, dragging the girl out of the cell. She clawed at the ground until her fingernails were ripped and bleeding, but the redhead was far stronger than the untrained six year old was. "HELP!" She cried loudly and tried to desperately fight against the Jonin, but to no avail.

"SHUT UP!" Sasori picked her up and slammed the girl down onto his operating table, making sure to be as rough as possible. He ripped the six year old's shirt open and grabbed hold of one of his scalpels; "IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT I SAY, THEN YOU'D BE BETTER OFF AS A FUCKING PUPPET!" Sasori tried to restrain the girl in order to make the first fatal slice, but she kept on struggling; "STOP MOVING ALREADY!"

"LET GO OF ME!" Tears were running down her face like miniature waterfalls. Asuko watched the fight with little interest, as if knowing that her master was in no peril; "I'M SORRY!" Pakura didn't even seem to know _why_ Sasori was so angry at her; what had she done to make him this mad? "PLEASE! I'M SORRY, MASTER SASORI!" She continued to struggle against him, but she was tiring by the second. Pakura screamed and cried out at the same time; "MUMMY! DADDY! HELP ME!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY AND STOP MOVING!" Sasori managed a small incision on the girl's flat chest, but she succeeded in knocking the scalpel from the red head's hand. The fourteen year old was fed up with the girl's persistence; "I SAID STOP MOVING!" He attached chakra strings to the girl using his left hand, the rage he felt increasing his determination and power. Pakura's body abruptly stilled as Sasori took control of it. The red head turned and - using a chakra string on his right hand - he fished the scalpel from the floor. He pulled it into his hand and turned back to his victim. Sasori put the scalpel to the slight incision he had already managed, intending to extend it to the size and depth needed in order to pull Pakura's organs out of her young body.

Asuko gave a bark, but Sasori was far too enraged to even notice her over the sound of the roaring blood in his head; he was too enthralled to even notice the figure that traipsed calmly towards his turned back. He didn't detect anything; until Sasori suddenly felt something hard and flat slam against the back of his head.

The red head involuntarily dropped the scalpel and the chakra strings. The only thing that Sasori was aware of now was the sudden thud as he collapsed onto his side. He gave a harsh, muffled grunt and his eyes involuntarily closed as he abruptly lost consciousness.


	15. Sasori's Burden Part One

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifteen

Sasori's Burden Part One

Sasori came to at an incalculable time; he was dazed and his head was throbbing.

All of the anger that he had felt not too long ago was completely gone and Sasori simply felt hollow inside as he looked around. Sitting not too far away with her back against the wall was the figure of Karura. In her lap was Pakura, just as unconscious as Sasori had been. The six year old didn't wear a shirt but wore a bloody bandage around her flat torso. Karura looked over at Sasori and gave him a wide grin which didn't seem to fit the situation.

"Good morning, sunshine~" The red head looked to see that next to the blonde sat her folded up fan; she must have used that to knock him unconscious. "I got a message from the Third Kazekage telling me that you were in an 'appalling mood' and that I should make sure that you were alright. So I came here to see that you were trying to turn poor little Pakura here into a puppet." She laughed as if it were simply a sick joke, "It's a good thing that Asuko trusts me, or else she may have killed me after I knocked you unconscious." Sasori remained completely silent, carefully watching his best friend with bloodshot eyes. "I managed to stop the bleeding," she was referring to the incision the red head had managed to carve into Pakura's chest, "but I'm not really a medical-nin." Karura shrugged and the male lowered his head slightly, half in humiliation.

"Here," Sasori pulled himself across the floor, over to the two girls, "I'll heal her." Karura nodded and undid the bandage, showing the wound to the red head. Sasori soundlessly put one hand against the wound and began to heal it with his Tender Touch Technique, "The Third Kazekage said that I couldn't become an ANBU Black Ops…Because I said that human life has no value…Because I would never give up my life just to save another and because I'm apparently 'unpredictable'."

"But human life does have value…" Karura gave a shrug, "At least, it depends on who you're talking about. Me, you, Yashamaru and Pakura here are all worth more than everyone else." She stated it bluntly and perfectly, her grin returning with the comment.

Sasori finished healing the deep scalpel wound and he took hold of the six year old's hands, healing the injuries that she had stupidly inflicted upon her self when she had vainly tried to get a grip of the ground. "But when he spoke of it, he was referring to the human race in general." Sasori shrugged his shoulders, "He is a hypocrite; I could tell just by the look into his eyes that he missed killing."

"Let him be a hypocrite." Karura continued to grin at him, "You must have been super pissed off if you actually tried to turn little Pakura here into a puppet!" She laughed once more for no real reason.

"I couldn't control my anger," Sasori finished healing the girl's hands and fingers, scooting to the wall next to Karura, "I hate emotions so much; I actually told Pakura to kill me."

The blond girl abruptly started to laugh so hard that tears of merriment began to shed themselves from her teal eyes, "Seriously? Mr I'm-Gonna-Live-Forever actually wanted to die?" She gave another snigger, matched with her sharp toothed grin, "You really _were_ out of it! But how the hell did you expect a six year old to _kill_ you?"

"I was doing an experiment the other day where I replaced her blood with that of the Chishio Clan in an attempt to give her their Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai." He gave a shrug, "After I gave it to her she flew into a temper and tried to kill me with it. The Scorch Release focuses on the fact that humans are mostly made up of water: death by evaporation." Sasori gave a frown, "But she couldn't activate it, even when I was trying to convert her into a Human Puppet."

"She is only six years old," Karura gave a hum and raised an eyebrow down at the sleeping girl, "it might be years before she is able to use the Kekkei Genkai at will, and don't forget that she is inexperienced in the way of the Shinobi."

Sasori gave a low groan, clutching his head, "I think my skull is going to split open; this migraine is killing me." He sighed and cringed, slowly shaking his head, "I wish my Tender Touch Technique could work on curing headaches."

Karura rolled her eyes though continued to grin, "Do you reckon Pakura will ever forgive you for trying to turn her into a puppet?"

"How the hell should I know?" Sasori gave the blonde a venomously annoyed look, "Truthfully I don't even care whether she never trusts me ever again; if she denies to being my Human Guinea Pig any more then she could always become an interesting piece in my collection. I bet that I could master that Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai before she ever could."

Karura gave a sigh and leaned her head against the red head's shoulder, "It's a pity. You would have made an awesome ANBU Black Ops…" She gave a gentle hum and an almost honest expression, "But you'll be a better Fourth Kazekage and husband…Just don't turn our children into puppets, thanks~" Sasori simply rolled his eyes and they sat in silence with the six year old still remaining asleep.

-x-

Takeo and Sasori were currently on patrol in their usual sector. Spit and the brunette stood on the sand, waiting for any action, while the red head sat inside of Roan beneath the desert. They had been on guard for three hours straight without any action. Sasori just sat; his right hand controlling all five of his Rats with his left thumb attached to Spit. Roan didn't require any chakra strings just yet.

Sasori was advancing in the art of viewing out of his puppet's eyes. He could see out of his five Rats and even his own eyes at the same time with not too much effort. The red head wasn't bothering to look out of Spit's eyes as the puppet's sight wasn't needed at the moment, the same with Roan.

So the red head sat inside of the scorpion marionette, flipping through his sketch book. He had almost managed to fill it up completely, and Sasori was thinking about where he was going to get another one. As he was flipping through the pages, a small pink flower fell out of it. Sasori raised an eyebrow and picked it up with his left hand. It was the one he had taken from Mother Island after his fight with Asuko. Sasori raised an eyebrow and was almost embarrassed at just how naïve he had been back when he had been eight years old. If he had fought and beaten Asuko now, then he would have undoubtedly killed her afterwards; maybe he would have turned her into a puppet as well. And yet, Sasori had let her live even after the girl had ordered him to kill her. The red head had not really thought of the blonde girl in a while, and he found him self wondering if she were still alive.

Alive? Married? Pregnant? Already with children? Dead? Let's see…She had been thirteen when they met…And that was when Sasori was eight…So that mean that Asuko would be nineteen years old, bearing in mind that she was alive at all. Sasori gave a sneer in disgust; why the fuck was he even thinking about the girl? So what if he had given his bracelet to her; she was in the past and of no concern to the red head or his future whatsoever.

"Any sign of people trying to pass through?" Takeo's voice cut through his thoughts like a knife and Sasori almost thanked the man.

Sasori put the flat flower back into his sketch book, between the last page and the back cover before shutting it, "No one that my Rats can see of." The red head put the book aside and began to exam his - or rather Daichi's - bracelet. The scorpion was still the same as ever, sitting between the intricate carvings both neatly and sharply. He had based his puppet maker logo on it…

That curse thing that the merchant, Arata Kaoru, had told them about the bracelets being destined to continuously reunite was just a story that she had told to a bunch of three gullible eight year olds.

-o-

…I do not believe in superstitions, but I've decided to note here that the bracelets did eventually reunite, even though it took twenty-four years. By the time I was thirty, both the scorpion and the wolf were in my possession, whilst the dove bracelet fell into the ownership of Asuko's son. He was fourteen when I first met him and he was just as mentally unstable as I was…In fact, the kid was a complete lunatic.

His bracelet came into my possession when I was thirty two years old, after we made an exchange; he gave me the Dove bracelet, and I gave him what little shred of dignity that I still possessed.

But none the less, the three bracelets did eventually reunite, even though all of their original owners - aside from my self - did not live long enough to see them all join together once more.

-o-

Fifteen Years Old

Sasori entered his Den, giving a sigh of relief. Border patrol was really taking up his time and it was difficult enough to get away to his sanctuary four times a week. Karura seemed to be having the same sort of trouble as she and her squad were often away on missions. Sasori and the blonde didn't have as much time to themselves, not to mention the fact that the war was only getting worse as time progressed and Sunagakure's military was not as reliable as the other nations. Sasori knew that there was a possibility that the Third Kazekage might send him off to fight in the Third Shinobi World War outside of the Land of Wind. The only thing is that if that were the case, then there would be no one left to keep his seven year old human guinea pig alive and his hobby would be impossible to continue until he came home.

"Hello Pakura," Sasori walked over to the cell door, looking in at his pet. She sat in the gloom, not really staring at anything in particular, "How are we today?"

"I am fine, Master Sasori." She stated it dully and didn't take her eyes from the wall, "Is Karura back from her mission yet?"

"No…Not yet." Sasori stretched his slightly aching arms and walked over to his work table. The girl had not really been the same ever since the red head had given her the Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai, and she had only become worse after he had tried to turn her into a puppet. "Karura will be back soon though." The girl remained silent, and the red head let her, preferring the quieter girl as opposed to the one who talked non-stop. Asuko gave a small bark and Sasori cupped his hand around the plant's head, even though her bulb had grown even larger than Sasori's hand. Asuko tenderly nuzzled her master's palm, giving happy purring noises.

After a minute the red head pulled his hand away and began working on a technique that he had thought up. Sasori had so far dubbed it the 'Memory-Concealing Manipulative Sand Technique'…Or just 'Sleeper Jutsu' for short. With it, Sasori could seal away a person's memory by inserting a very small needle into the memory centre of their brain. The red head imagined the possibilities; he could have Sleeper Agents in each country, spies who could be gathering information and not even be aware of what they really were. A mass of living puppets under the control of Sasori and of no one else.

Unfortunately, the very first few people he had tried it on had failed, but at least they had made good puppets, knocking his collection up to a total of sixteen. Sasori had almost perfected all of the flaws in the Jutsu, and he was ready to try it out again.

-x-

It was late at night, and Sasori was travelling beneath the desert inside of Roan with his precious cargo. Three paralysed eight year olds and a paralysed Jonin lay paralysed behind him; Sasori was going to test his Sleeper Jutsu on the Genin, and he was going to turn their Sensei into his seventeenth Human Puppet.

-x-

The two boys and the one girl sat with their backs propped up against the wall. Sasori kneeled in front of the trio with the male Jonin lying on the floor between them. They were eight years old, which was the same age that he had been when Sunagakure had forced him to kill his friend. Ever since he and Karura had become Chunin, the rules had changed; rather than pitting team-mate against team-mate, they simply pitted the groups against one another, though even now there was beginning to surface a murmur of objection towards this 'inhumane' act…

"You are all lucky," they stared at him with their paralysed eyes, "I am going to show you exactly how it is that I turn people into puppets." He gave them each a smirk, and then attached chakra strings to their heads, tilting them down to look at their unmoving Sensei. "I am going to show you using this Jonin~" Sasori noticed fear in their eyes and he gave a sadistic chuckle, "You are all going to become my Sunagakure Sleeper Agents. After tonight you won't remember any of this until I want you to. When that times comes, you are to do exactly what I say, or else you will endure the same operation that your Sensei here is about to undertake. Let me just remind you that he is merely paralysed, like you are. Your Sensei is not under the influence of any pain killers whatsoever, and he is able to feel every single drop of pain he is about to experience."

With that said, Sasori began to strip the man without even a hint of modesty. As soon as this was done, the red head picked up the scalpel and began making the key incision from throat to lower stomach. The three eight year olds were forced to watch the gruesome operation without the ability to look away or to even shut their eyes.

-x-

Sasori attached chakra strings once again to the children's heads, making them look up. "See?" He began to make the puppet of their Sensei walk around the Den. Pakura silently watched from her cell without any interest and she picked up her Dolly, cuddling it subtly. Sasori stood and picked up a scroll, sealing his seventeenth Human Puppet inside of it. "If any of you betray me, I shall do the exact same thing to you." He looked into their eyes to see trauma highly evident above all else. Good. "I am about to insert a small needle inside of the memory centre of your brain. It will cause you all to forget what you have just witnessed and that you are actually my spies. When I dispel it at some point in the future, you are to come to me immediately and do as I wish of you, no matter whether it puts your life on the line." He smirked at them cruelly. "What fate would you rather suffer? A swift death at the hands of your comrades…Or to become one of my Human Puppets?"

The children were quiet due to the paralysing poison, but the look in their eyes openly revealed their answer.

"Good; when you awake after I activate the ninjutsu, you are to believe that you were attacked by a pack of desert wolves. Your Sensei stayed back to save the rest of you, and you don't know what happened to him. You became lost and eventually you all lost consciousness. Got it? Good…Now…" Sasori advanced on the first Genin; "Ladies first." He picked the girl up and carried her over to his operating table, sitting her down on the surface.

She had long brown hair but it was tied up in a childish ponytail. Sasori picked up one of the small needles he had prepared earlier, putting his left hand against the girl's left brow and upper cheek, opening the girl's left eye wide. He brought the needle up to her eye and inserted it directly into her pupil. The red head attached chakra strings to the needle and guided it through her head until it became lodged within the memory centre of her brain. He closed her eye with his left hand and he easily healed the tiny incision wound.

-x-

All three sat on his operating table now, the needles inserted into their brains. Sasori went on to activate the ninjutsu, making several hand signs. "Memory-Concealing Manipulation." With his left hand he made a half Ram seal to concentrate his chakra and he brought his right hand to the girl's countenance. Sasori pressed his three middle fingers to her forehead, thumb to her right cheek and pinkie against the Genin's left cheek. It was the same five prints which he painted on his face every day and wore with pride. He sent chakra through his finger tips, through the girls head, and into the small needle embedded in her mind. "Activate."

The seal was triggered and Sasori's Jutsu came into fruition. Her gaze went hazy as she lost consciousness without the ability to close her eyes. Sasori shut them for her and he moved onto the second candidate.

It was a boy with spiky-ended black hair that currently hung over his face. Sasori did the exact same thing as he had with the girl, "Memory-Concealing Manipulation. Activate." Afterwards, the paralysed boy also lost consciousness.

Sasori then moved onto the last of his prey; another boy, but with short spiky brown hair. The red head repeated the small procedure for a third time, with the same results while Pakura silently watched from the shadows inside of her cell. As soon as the three Genin were unconscious, Sasori gave a cruel grin; so far they were all responding well to the ninjutsu.

There was a range of percentages of survival which depended mostly upon the one who broke the seal; many things could go wrong. If Sasori were to remove the Jutsu, then there would be a 5% death rate, and a separate 15% chance of the victim going mad over a varied amount of time. If some other medical-nin were to remove it, then there was an 11% death rate, and a 49% rate that the victim would go mad, leaving only a 40% chance of survival…But it mainly depended on the skill of whoever tried to remove the red head's seal.

Sasori faintly wondered about the statistics of survival for one if he were to place two needles inside of their brain, as opposed to just a singular spine…No! The rate of survival would be absolutely absurd if Sasori were to ever break the seal! There would not only be an 18% chance of death, but there would be an added 80% chance that the spy would go insane, leaving only a 2% chance of them surviving with both their life and lucidness; those statistics were definitely not worth it. Sasori did not want to have an army of spies within the countries which would most likely die or become useless due to the seal.

He would never insert more than one needle inside of someone's mind…Ever…

-o-

…Okay, maybe I should have listened to the advice of my younger self; I might have been naïve but dammit at least I was smart back then and, well, not blinded by rage…

But dammit, that Brat pushed me too far and he had memories that he didn't need; it is not my fault that I ended up sticking another needle inside of his head! It was the moron's fault, not mine…Okay, so when the seal eventually broke he did go insane, and eventually he committed suicide, but he was suicidal when I first met him anyway!

…Though his suicidal tenaciousness more or less returned after I inserted the second needle inside of his brain, but come on, I did all in my power to keep him alive! I fucking jumped into a raging river to stop him from fucking drowning! I ALMOST GOT MYSELF KILLED BY DOING THAT!

…Sorry, he has a thing for bringing up my bad temper…When it did finally break, and when he did go insane, I was no longer around to save him. The seal was extremely unstable, and it only broke due to my second death, when I lost my mind.

I should have listened to the advice of my younger self…I should not have inserted that second needle inside of Deidara's head just to make him forget that- …Oh…Never mind.

-o-

When the three came to they were at the village entrance; Sasori stood over them, giving a superior, irritated look, "What the hell were you all doing passed out in the middle of the desert alone? Don't you know that we're in the middle of a war here?" The red head sneered at them, and they stared back up at him.

"I'm sorry sir…" the boy with black hair stood up off of the ground, "We were headed for a mission location, but on the way we were attacked by a pack of giant desert wolves…Our Sensei stayed back to fend off the creatures while we Genin made a run for it. We succeeded in escaping, but we didn't know which way the village was…All I can remember is suddenly blacking out…And then we were here." So they would recall anything that they were told to remember before the seal was activated…Good.

The brunette boy stood and he also helped the girl to her feet, "Did you save us?" The red head simply gave a nod and the boy bowed in respect. "Thank you, Sasori of the Red Sand." Sasori raised an eyebrow down at his victims; he must have been more famous than he had expected.

"Don't worry about it, you bunch of brats." Sasori rolled his eyes and straightened slightly, "Now state your names."

"My name is Setsuko," the girl spoke first, blinking slowly at the redhead with her undamaged eyes. She pointed to the brunette, "That is Mukade," the boy smiled at the Puppet Master, "and that is-"

The boy with black hair cut in before her, "Hello Mr Sasori of the Red Sand," the child smiled up at the red head with a stupid air of innocence. "It's nice to meet you, and thank you for saving us; my name is Yura."

The redhead gave a slow nod of thought, going over the names a few times in his head in order to remember them for later use. "Very well then, go tell the Kazekage that you were incapable of fulfilling your mission and that your Sensei is dead. Okay?" They all nodded simultaneous. "Good; do not mention that I helped you to anyone. I'm supposed to be on guard duty, but I took a break in order to rescue you. If the Kazekage finds out, then I might as well be dead…" It was a lie, but the children wouldn't be bothered to check whether the red head was telling the truth or not. They gave another concurrent nod and Sasori made a shooing motion with his hand, "Just go already." They spun around and started running into the village to report their 'Failure'. Sasori gave a secretive smirk to himself; as far as he was concerned, it was a huge _'Success'_.


	16. Hiruko's Hammer

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixteen

Hiruko's Hammer

Sasori was playing with his latest puppet, giving a smirk as he walked the man around his Den. "I don't know what your name was, so I guess I'll just call you Sora." The red head wished that he could see his Human Puppets in a real fight - to test whether they were capable or not. But if he did, then someone may recognise that they were once living humans; so Sasori's puppets were reduced to either staying sealed in their scrolls or being admired by the red head away from the battlefield.

"Master Sasori…" The red head gave a slight sigh and resealed the puppet inside of a scroll, placing it onto the table. He glanced over at the girl who sat close to the bars of her cell, looking at Sasori stoically. "When you are done with me…Will you do that same memory thing that you did on those other kids?"

The red head raised an eyebrow at Pakura, having never really thought of it before. "I still haven't decided yet." He gave a simple shrug, "I probably will have to so that you won't inform anyone of the experiments which I have performed in here." Sasori ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. "In fact, yes, I will do the Sleeper Jutsu on you…Depending on whether you live long enough for the need to arise." He then gave a thoughtful hum; "Or then again, I could just kill you and save myself the bother…"

"Awww," a familiar person traipsed into the room and Asuko gave a happy bark, "you wouldn't kill little Pakura, would you?"

"You're back?" The figure of Karura grinned at Sasori and nodded before she walked over to the red head and gave him a peck on his forehead. He sneered at the blonde's chaste touch as she turned and walked over to the cell.

"Yeah, it was one hell of a mission!" She gave a laugh and opened up the cell door without even asking for the red head's permission, "Hello Pakura, how are you?" The blonde picked up the seven year old, smiling sweetly at her.

"Master Sasori was telling me that when I lose my usefulness, he may wipe by memories, just like he did to those three other people…" She slowly blinked and rested her head against Karura's shoulder, "Or he might just kill me."

"Awww, don't worry," the blonde gently bounced the growing seven year old in her arms. "The Big Meanie Puppet Master won't kill you while I'm around." Sasori rolled his eyes. "She's starting to talk just like you, Sasori, you really should dumb-down your language around her~ But what was that earlier comment about wiping the memories of three other people?"

Pakura was completely quiet as she just stared dully into the distance. She considered Karura as the mother that she had lost, and Sasori was the monster who had always lurked in her nightmares. "I don't know if Master Sasori would like me to talk about it."

"Okay then." The blonde supported the girl with one arm and began to rummage around in the pouch which sat on her right leg. Karura pulled out a small fruit which looked like a mini orange. "Here you go; this is called a 'Mandarin'. You eat the insides but not the skin." The seven year old took it and gave a nod as Karura set her back down in the cell. The blonde ruffled Pakura's hair and exited the cage, instinctively locking the door behind her. Karura walked over to Sasori and sat down on the chair next to him. "I got one for you as well, sweetie." She pulled another of the fruits from her leg pouch and handed it to Sasori. He took the mandarin and began pulling the skin off of it, "So what is this about wiping people's memories?"

Sasori gave a simple shrug and placed some of the bitter skin he had peeled off onto the desk, "I perfected that Sleeper Jutsu that I was going on about last time you were here and I tried it on a bunch of three eight year old Genin." He pulled a piece out of the segmented fruit, "I found them in the desert, quickly paralysed all of them and then I brought them here. In front of their eyes I converted their still-living Jonin leader - who I have named Sora - into a Human Puppet, and I told them that if they ever betrayed me then I'd perform the same operation on them."

The red head placed the piece of mandarin into his mouth and Karura gave a laugh. "Really? Oh my gosh Sasori; you are so cruel." She laughed even louder and her grin only widened.

Sasori swallowed the fruit and gave an aloof shrug, "I guess I am. So after the procedure I inserted a small needle into the memory centre of their brains and activated a seal on it. They fell unconscious and I then took them back to Sunagakure. When the three of them came to, they couldn't remember what had happened, and the good thing is that they never will remember unless I release the seal, thereby destroying the needle in their memory centre. They will secretly be my spies, and even they won't know it."

"Wow, I'm impressed!" The red head ate another piece of the strange, juicy fruit, "So can you tell me the names of the three Genin, or do you want me to guess to see if it is really impossible to know that they are spies?"

Sasori smirked and handed his best friend a piece of his mandarin, "The latter." The blonde grinned at him but ate the offered fruit without hesitation. They sat in silence for at least a minute, before Sasori spoke again with a slight frown; "Have you ever thought about what kind of adventures might be waiting outside the Wind Country?"

"We're in the middle of the Third Shinobi World War, Sweetie. What kind of adventure can really be out there aside from getting killed?" She smiled affectionately at the red head, her grin fading to a simple line, "I don't think that we would survive out there at a time like this." Karura shrugged slightly in thought, "Both of us are strong, yes, but there are people out there who have _insane_ power. If we were to ever run into Shinobi with that kind of strength, we would get eaten alive. It's best to stick with the world you know than the one that you don't."

"I know, but the people you are talking about…What if we were to become like that ourselves? They had to start somewhere…We have the capabilities of becoming just as powerful." Sasori's frown of thought subtly deepened as he finally said what he desired, "…I think I want to leave Sunagakure…"

Karura raised an eyebrow at him, her smile falling completely; "I think you're insane." She gave a thoughtful sigh before also giving a rhetorical shrug, "Then again, so am I. But Sasori; I don't want to leave Sunagakure…I like it here; I like my family, I like my team, I like my friends…I like it here…" The blonde then gave a small, somewhat awkward, laugh, "Besides, you might be able to survive out there, but I'm no where near as tough as you are. You're ability is inhuman…But there is _nothing _out there. You'd be better to stay here and try to become the Fourth Kazekage rather than going out there and dying a mere nobody."

"…" Sasori gave the rest of the mandarin to his best friend; he didn't have an appetite anymore. "Fine then." The red head put his hand to the scroll which his seventeenth Human Puppet was sealed inside of. Oh how he yearned to slaughter people with it. "I won't leave Sunagakure…" Yet.

-x-

Sasori was walking the streets of his home village all by himself, surrounded by the many other citizens who were also walking through the market place. Karura was out on yet another mission, and the red head was currently on his break from guard duty. With nothing better to do, he was simply walking through the Sunagakure market place, looking for anything which might spark his interest, though so far he had found absolutely nothing that had caught his attention.

He gave a sigh and continued walking until the red head heard an eerily familiar voice, "My, look who we have here!" As a full stop there was a loud bark which came from a certain large dog. Sasori turned to see a looming figure standing immediately behind him, "I'd recognise that red hair a mile away. My, it's good to see you again, Sasori!"

The fifteen year old blinked up at the man slowly, "Hello Hiruko and Sky." The interesting male gave the usual creepy grin, while his monster dog was standing next to him. "It has been a while…Four years to be exact…" Sky paced forward to the red head and nudged him slightly. Sasori petted the dog's giant head, ruffling its two pointy ears; Sky was no longer taller than the red head, and the once 'monster' dog only came up to his torso.

"My, has it really been that long? Well, how are you?" Hiruko was the exact same as when Sasori had first met him eight years ago, "Are Karura, Misaki and…" He thought for a second to try and recall the last name, "Yashamaru, I think it was…Anyway, are they alright?"

"I am well, as are they," Sasori gave a shrug; "Karura has been assigned a team of Genin, Misaki has gone off to fight in the war, Yashamaru has been placed with a different group - this time of his own level - and Karura and I are both now Jonin."

"My, the both of you are already Jonin?" He gave a loud laugh and ruffled Sasori's hair, "I knew that I'd expect great things from the lot o' you. Well, what are you doing then?"

"I'm on patrol duty…Well, not at this very moment, but a lot of the time." He gave a shrug and continued to pet the dog's head, "What brings you here to Sunagakure?"

"Well, for a bunch of Night Blooming Cereus of course!" He gave another laugh, "I can't find any in the desert, but last time I came to Sunagakure some of the stalls were selling it." He held up a small potted cactus which was notably known as the 'Princess of the Night'. A small bud sat on the plant, but it had yet to bloom, "I've bought a plant for my neighbour, you see. My, she simply adores the flowers! They only blossom at night, you know?"

"Yes, and I have noticed the population of the Night Blooming Cereus has been dwindling somewhat." He gave a shrug and gently pushed on the dog, signalling that he was finished petting it. Sky gave a small whine and marched back over to his master, "Isn't your dog getting a bit old? He is about eleven now…right?"

"Sky? Sure he is eleven, but he is just as faithful as when I first got him. That is the kind of trait you most want in a dog; loyalty." Sasori slowly blinked at the word. So that was probably the reason why the Third Kazekage hadn't let him become an ANBU Black Ops…

"I guess so; it seems to be the trait which Sunagakure tries to drill into its 'Dogs'…" He gave a shrug and ran a hand through his hair, the strange bitter taste returning to his mouth, "Unfortunately, it seems that Suna gets a tad irked when the puppies don't turn out so reliable."

Hiruko blinked at him, and then gave the red head another creepy grin. "My, don't you sound treasonous? If you can't have faith in the village that has raised you since you were a little pup, then what can you trust?"

"Myself and my art." The response was instant, and Sasori gave a smirk up at the man, an almost vicious glint in his dangerous brown eyes, "Those are the only real things that one can trust in the world."

Hiruko raised an eyebrow at the redhead and gave a hum, "I guess that that is true; your self is the only thing that you have from the day that you are born to the day that you die. It is all about one's opinion." The hulking mass of a man gave a shrug and petted his dog twice on the head. "My, I'm sorry but Sky and I best be off; we've got a long journey ahead of us to get back to our own small village." Just as all the other times he had said farewell to the red head, Hiruko placed his hand of Sasori's head and ruffled his crimson locks, "My, I do hope that I see you again."

"I'm sure you will," The man turned and walked off, Sky following loyally at his side. Sasori watched him leave, and gave a sudden cunning smirk, the blood lustful look lighting up his muddy orbs, "I'm_ certain_ you will."

-x-

Sky abruptly halted mid step and gave a low menacing growl as he sensed danger, "Huh? What is it?" Hiruko looked at his dog, and then scanned his eyes around the area. A rat scurried about across a nearby sand dune, and the man lifted an eyebrow at it, "My, Sky it is just a rat, nothing to get all hyped up over." Hiruko took a step forward, but the dog refused to budge and continued to growl darkly, "You crazy old dog."

There was suddenly a burst of sand in front of them, but both Hiruko and his dog managed to dodge the giant scorpion tail that lashed out at them with ease. It disappeared beneath the sand as quickly as it had appeared. There were two puffs of smoke a few metres left and right of the duo; Turquoise and Spit.

Hiruko recognised the capture puppet from when he had seen it eight years ago, "My, so you really did want to see me again, didn't you Sasori?" The man clapped his hands together loudly, and there was a puff of smoke; "Summoning: Cursed Demon Hammer." When it cleared, Hiruko was holding a giant metal mallet which possessed a head that was unbelievably enormous. It had a huge chain on the end which was wrapped around Hiruko's wrist and it appeared unbelievably heavy.

Sasori sneered to himself…Dammit. A weapon like that could easily destroy one of his puppets with just one direct hit. He had been expecting swords, kunai knives, or even just some powerful Jutsu, but this was a real surprise.

Without further to do, Sasori sent both of his puppets straight for Hiruko. Turquoise tumbled and Spit spun towards the man, both with murderous intent. The male gave a grin and leapt up into the air at an amazing feat of strength, especially since he was still carrying the heavy hammer. Sasori barely had enough time to halt his puppets before they collided, but he still managed to stop them from crashing into one another. Suddenly, Hiruko gave a loud battle cry in mid air, holding the hammer up high. He came falling back down at a speed barely viewable even to the red head's well trained eyes, and he swung the hammer down right on the pole which sat in the exact centre of Spit. Sasori's eyes widened as the puppet's one weak spot was hit directly.

Spit abruptly stopped spinning and practically fell to smashed pieces as Hiruko's hammer crumpled the puppet like a tin can. Sasori sneered as Spit became unrepairable, "Dammit…" He focused on Turquoise and quickly rolled the puppet out of the range of the mallet. His Rat puppet which he had used to watch the battle scene was suddenly picked up by a set of powerful jaws. The forgotten monster dog began tearing the puppet to pieces and Sasori sneered with annoyance as he became blind to the battle scene as Turquoise didn't have eyes that the red head could see out of. To make things even worse, the puppet strings which Sasori had had on his capture puppet went abruptly limp, and the red head guessed the worst.

He pulled out another three scrolls, summoning Phoenix, Cephalo and Tyke. Sasori looked through their eyes to confirm the view that Turquoise was indeed smashed to unrepairable bits. It hurt slightly to see his works of art ruined, but there had to be some sacrifices to reach the top. Hiruko would become his favourite puppet.

Sasori buried Cephalo beneath the sand and made Tyke walk about as if it were a little child. Unfortunately, Sky wasn't a human, so the dog was not fooled by the puppet's disguise. The monster leapt onto Tyke and immediately began to rip it to pieces as if Sasori's creation were merely a chew toy. The red head sneered as the puppet was mauled and dropped his chakra strings on it. Phoenix flew above the battle scene, visible as the paint on its base was blue and the sky was black as it was night time.

Hiruko leapt up high with the intent of smashing the bird, but Sasori made Phoenix easily evade the attack. The red head couldn't attack the man with the puppet's fire jets as he didn't want to ruin Hiruko's body beyond repair. Sasori steered Phoenix's claws at the male, but he couldn't get close enough without the fear of getting hit by the hammer.

Sasori decided that he needed a different strategy. The red head flew Phoenix up high, out of Hiruko's reach, and shifted Cephalo beneath the sand. The nonapus leapt out from beneath the desert and dug five of its poison barbs into Hiruko's loyal dog. Sky gave a yelp and tried to shake the puppet off, but suddenly it fell victim to Asuko's deadly poison. Sasori had doused five of the ten barbs with the potent poison, while the other five were coated with his paralysing concoction. The rash began to break out on the dog's skin beneath its fur, and it whined in sharp pain. Hiruko quickly dropped back to the ground and ran over to his dog, where Cephalo dropped off of Sky and slunk back beneath the sand.

Sasori chuckled to himself as the dog collapsed to the ground, and Hiruko picked it up in his arms, the pet having been loyally at his side for eleven long years. Without further to do, the fight was over. Cephalo lashed out from beneath the sand and dug its beak barb right into the man's back and four of its arms - which had the paralysing poison as a coating - into his torso. It took a few seconds more than usual, but Hiruko's body soon fell limp. His dog was already dead inside of his strong arms.

Sasori brought Roan to the surface and opened the hatch, pulling out two scrolls and sealing both Phoenix and Cephalo inside of them, slipping the scrolls back into their pockets. The red head walked over to the remains of Turquoise and Spit, lifting an eyebrow at them. He gazed to where Tyke also lay useless in just as many pieces. Sasori dubbed them all beyond repair.

"Oh well, they were faulty anyway…" He turned and walked over to his latest victims, "You'll be worth the cost anyway…But you really are interesting…Why did you give up your life just to hold onto a pet that was already dead?" Sasori attached chakra strings to the man and made him look up at the red head. Of course Hiruko was paralysed so he couldn't even speak, but the look in his eyes said it all.

It actually angered Sasori, even though he had known of Hiruko's reaction from the very beginning. Why would someone do something so stupid? Was it 'Love'? To give up one's own life just for the miniscule hope of saving another? He didn't understand it, and that was why it made him so utterly frustrated.

"…A Shinobi should have no personal attachments to anything or anyone…Oh well." Sasori brought Roan over and pulled the dead dog away from its ex-master, the corpse dropping to the sand without a sound. Hiruko was unable to grab Sky with the poison coursing through his body and Sasori attached chakra threads to him. The man was forced to stand up and the red head made him walk over to Roan, leaving his dead loyal companion of eleven years without even the last wish of a backwards glance. Once Hiruko was - against his will - settled inside of the scorpion puppet, Sasori unprofessionally nudged the dog with his toe. "I'll leave this for the wolves." The red head walked over to where Hiruko had dropped his giant mallet, and tried to pick it up him self. The hammer was even heavier than it looked, but it disappeared in a puff of smoke as soon as someone aside from its master tried to wield it.

A few feet away lay the Night-Blooming Cereus, its pot cracked and roots half buried in the sand. The bud on it was now a large flower, the light of the almost full moon shining off of its white, innocent petals with a solemn feeling evident in the act. Sasori rolled his eyes at the stupid plant and walked over to his puppet Roan. He sat down inside and closed the hatch, disappearing with his precious cargo beneath the sand. Sasori would leave the job of cleaning up the crime scene to the cruel, relentless wasteland.

(A/N- I'm going to be away in Thailand on Holiday until the 26th, so I apologize but I won't be able to update until I return home. Sorry for any inconvenience.)


	17. An Important Stranger

As White as Blood

Chapter Seventeen

An Important Stranger

Hiruko was too large for Sasori's table, so he was placed on the floor of the Den. The fifteen year old sat a few feet away, silently watching. In his hands was his open sketch book with a few rough drawings sitting upon the pages, showing how Sasori intended to alter the man. None of his other fights had had a higher level of difficulty than this one. Three of his puppets and one of his Rats had been damaged beyond repair; Sasori would have to make up for those losses.

He would have to make the puppet so that it was defensive, offensive, and deceiving. Sasori had already decided to make him into a capture puppet - Hiruko surely was large enough - but a normal human did not have the hidden mechanisms or defensive capabilities of a normal marionette…So he would have to add a better defence to it, and also offensive potential.

-x-

Sasori had finished carving the addition he would make to Hiruko's defences. Why should he have a simple Human Puppet when you could make his own inhuman additions to it? The red head had created a giant mask which would replace Hiruko's back - it was shaped in a sad frown and painted a pale blue. The only thing which Sasori was concerned about was the fact that Hiruko might have to walk on all fours to support both the shell and Sasori's weight when he was inside of the puppet. But then again, the red head had seen plenty slouched figures about and the sight – though odd - was not unseen of. A cloak would easily hide the fact he was walking on all four legs, and people would simply assume he had a slouched back.

Sasori smirked and lurked ever closer to his prey. He had injected the man with another dose of the paralysing poison so that while the red head had been busy making the sad face he had not attacked the red head. Asuko would have assaulted him anyway, but Sasori didn't want to ruin the look of his soon-to-be-favourite puppet with the sickening rash which would outbreak on Hiruko's skin if he were dosed with the plant's venom. Sasori sat next to him and gently brought a hand to the man's face.

The fifteen year old's fingers tenderly ran over the grotesque, deformed features. They had interested him eight years ago and they were still intriguing to that present day. Hiruko's harsh sunken in eyes, his prominent brows, the sagging bags beneath his eyeballs, laugh lines around his mouth, the outwards bridge of his nose, and the lips which had seemed to be in a permanent grin. Now his mouth was set and just as sad as the large mask Sasori had just carved.

The red head had once thought that the man was just one big contradiction, and Hiruko still was just that. Sasori pulled his hands away and rested his head against the man's chest. He could hear Hiruko's heart continue to beat away in his chest - the red head wouldn't bother to keep the strong organ afterwards as the Shinobi seemed to be most prominent in swinging that mallet around rather than using Jutsu. Besides, with it gone then there would be more room for hidden mechanisms and for the red head.

Sasori sat up straight and once again looked over the empty canvas with the eyes of an artist. He started to both speak and unclothe Hiruko at the same time, "You're going to be my favourite puppet…" The red head gave a sadistic grin and a small chuckle. "Aren't you so happy that we really did meet again? Don't worry, after this procedure, you will never have to wish that ever again, because we won't ever be parted~"

With that said, Sasori turned Hiruko onto his back and he picked up the scalpel. Sasori began to slice a trail down the line of the man's spine, leaving the male to live out his last minutes in utter agony as he was cut apart like a hunk of meat.

-x-

Sasori was half way through the operation – he had finished carving the flesh from his skin and he was now wondering which bones to keep. Hiruko would not require a spine as the shell would be a substitute. So he would have to not only reposition the ribs, but he would have to adjust their structure from being an inwards U shape to a crescent shape. Sasori would make the puppet's sides vertical, and replace the back with the saddened mask, though with his he would have to use two layers of wood to support the base and the sides of the puppet. Also, Sasori would need to add sturdy supports to the inside of the arms in order to increase the strength so that Hiruko would be able to support the weight.

Sasori gave a slight sigh and continued his gruelling - yet amusing - work.

-x-

The red head sat thinking inside of Roan, wondering what he was going to do next to his puppet. Hiruko was not yet finished, and Sasori wanted to add something which would increase the puppet's offensive skills dramatically. He was currently on patrol with Takeo, and the brunette seemed to be playing 'Twenty _Billion_ Questions' with him. The whole thing was irking the red head off.

"So why do you have Crow out? I thought that Spit had permanent viewing duty." Since the spin top puppet had been destroyed by Hiruko, the red head had had to resort to using Crow to stand on the surface instead. Takeo found it suspicious; he knew Sasori far too well.

"Spit got damaged, as did Turquoise, Tyke and one of my Rats," Sasori ran a hand through his hair; "but I assure you it will not affect my fighting."

"It better not. But how did they get damaged? Will they be repaired soon?" The red head just wanted to leave and get back to work on his beloved puppet. He_ hated_ this country. Why the hell had he been assigned to try and protect it? Sasori was feeling an odd hatred for the place which he had never felt before; he just wanted to kill – almost - everyone and set the place on fire.

"They got damaged in a fight and no they will not be repaired soon." Sasori resisted an annoyed sigh as Takeo continued to question him; it was going to be a long day.

-x-

The red head was currently in the old Creation Room, going through papers of sketches he had drawn between the ages of five and eight - before Sasori had created his Den. Maybe his imagination was leaving him as he aged…He hoped not.

As he looked through the amateur scribbles, inspiration did not abruptly strike him; he felt no epiphany, and he didn't see how any of the drawings resembled an imagination greater than the one he still bore at the age of fifteen. Sasori gave a sigh and placed the papers back down, beginning to look around. He rarely went into the room ever since he had built his Den, but when Sasori was simply stumped for ideas the Creation Room could usually spark something.

The red head gazed towards the unfinished puppets; some had been there since he was five, and Sasori was positive that those marionettes would never be completed. "What a waste…" His eyes suddenly fell onto something which caught his attention. It was an unfinished puppet - just like all the others - except it had a sort of 'tail' coming out of its lower back. Sasori blinked and stood up from the stool, traipsing over to it. The tail had a split end and was imperfect, but it gave Sasori a brilliant idea. He pulled the marionette from the rack and began to dismantle the tail from it.

-x-

Sasori was finally finished with the tail; he had pulled the entire thing apart and then he had reconstructed it to be more flexible so that now it was over ten metres long. The red head sealed the base into a scroll which was continuously activated so that Sasori could seal and extract the full length of the tail smoothly.

He stuck it within the mouth of the mask and attached hinges to it so that the lips could be opened at the red head's command. Sasori lined the insides of the puppet with several large black blankets which had edges that swamped out over the sides and shoulders. Also, so that it appeared more human, he put Hiruko's pants and shoes back onto the human puppet, even though there was nothing left to cover up.

Sasori smirked and stood up, finally finished with his work. He attached chakra strings to the puppet so as to have a better view. The jaw was inhuman, composed of three different sections. This was because Sasori had installed the same senbon releasing mechanism which Spit had had. Hiruko could practically spit a stream of senbon needles from its mouth and he had called it the 'Octo Needle Wave'. The red head smiled contently at his creation and sat back down in front of it, gently petting the head. Hiruko was now _his_ loyal dog.

"_Well_~ What do we have here?" Sasori's eyes widened at the unfamiliar voice and he quickly looked to the doorway. An unknown man stood there with an odd smirk on his face. The red head got to his feet and instinctively attached chakra strings to Hiruko, prepared to use his new puppet if the need arose. Sasori's eyes slipped about the room quickly. Asuko - a contrast to her usual protective self - was cowering in fear with her leaves covering her head. Pakura was sound asleep, which was normal for the girl who had nothing but dreams to keep her self entertained. Sasori looked back to the figure that stood calmly before the red head; "A child playing with toys~"

He had long black hair and pale skin with purple stripes which curved along the bridge of the male's nose. His eyes were gold and eerily snake like. The man was adorned with a long black cloak which had red and white clouds drifting lazily across the material. "What are you?" Sasori could sense the power which this man possessed; the red head had no doubt that this was one of the people with 'insane powers' that Karura had warned him about.

"Tut tut," the man continued to give him that weird smirk, and the stranger became even creepier when he licked his lips with an inhumanly long tongue. "That is no way to speak to one such as I; a child should be polite to their elders." His smile finally fell for a few seconds, but Sasori was irked off further when it returned. "I have come to offer you a position in the organisation known as the Akatsuki."

Sasori's eyes widened slightly in surprise and he felt his stomach drop. Akatsuki? He had never heard of that organisation before… "What?"

The pale man gave a gentle hum, once again licking his lips with his freakish tongue. "Leader has given me orders to seek out a team-mate, and you were on the list of candidates. You are 'Sasori of the Red Sand', correct?" The fifteen year old gave a cautious nod, "Then he has invited you to join our criminal organisation; when we take over the world, then we'll give you a portion of it."

"So you're a criminal organisation bent on World Domination?" Sasori raised an eyebrow at him, along with a blank aloof expression, "Now isn't that a tad cliché?"

"Do not criticise our goal; we all have our own objectives we wish to reach." He offered his hand out to the shorter red head, "If you join the Akatsuki, then I assure you that your goal in life, no matter what it is, will be achieved." Sasori looked cautiously at the offered hand and then he gaze back up at the still smirking man. The red head then shook his head in an obvious rejection. The man's smirk fell, as did his hand. "Well then, I guess you have made up your mind…You know, everyone else so far has also rejected me." He gave a shrug, "It is really starting to hurt my feelings." His eyes narrowed, and much to Sasori's chagrin, his smirk reappeared. "But then again, I have captured everyone who has rejected me so far and I have brought them all to one of my hideouts in order to perform experiments on them." He gave a chuckle and ran a hand through his long raven hair; "But, unlike them…I think I'll let you live…" He gave another chortle and gave the red head a cunning look, "You're still too young and naïve to be able to make the decision right now…Plus you remind me too much of myself." Firstly he pointed at the cell where Pakura still slept silently, "We have both experimented on human guinea pigs," he then pointed at Hiruko, "we have both pushed the limits on what we can accomplish…" The man gave another chortle and straightened up slightly; "And we both want to live forever."

Sasori blinked at the man, and then gave him a suspicious glare. "How do you know that I want to live for an Eternity?"

"I was given a copy of your Sunagakure profile by Leader, along with information on the other candidates." He gave a shrug and pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve, tossing it at the red head. Sasori attached a chakra string to it and cautiously pulled the paper into his hand. There was a picture from when he had become a Jonin, and most of it seemed quite professional, until he actually read a part of it. The paper called him such things as emotionally unstable, a monster, a threat to the village, murderer of innocents and even stated the fact that he wanted to live forever. "So you see? Even the village that has raised you does not want you here." The man grinned at him with almost sharp teeth. "So, have I succeeded in changing your mind?"

"No…" Sasori gave a slow, calm blink, "I am remaining in Sunagakure until I have nothing left to gain from this village."

"…" The man gave a hum and lowered his smirk into one which did not bare his teeth. "That's a shame. Very well then, I see your mind is currently set on continuing to squander your talents in this wretched hellhole."

For some reason, Sasori thought to himself about how pissed off Takeo would be if he had heard this stranger speak so badly of their 'home'. "What is your name?"

"Hmmm? Well, where are my manners?" He licked his lips again, flicking his tongue like a snake, "My name is Orochimaru."

…Why did that come as no surprise to him? That was the name of a character in an old tale he had heard which was called 'The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya'. In it, a man by the name of Orochimaru had become corrupted by snake magic…

"Farewell then, Sasori of the Red Sand. The offer still stands, and I do hope that you come to your senses one day." Orochimaru gave a sigh, "Children just don't know what they want anymore." With that established, the creepy man disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"…" Sasori straightened up out of his defensive position - albeit still a bit cautious - and dropped his chakra strings from Hiruko. "…Weird..." He raised an eyebrow and after a few seconds he walked over to his table. Asuko uncurled her leaves and looked about the cave, meeting an unimpressed look from her master. "Some guard you are; I hope that you would have jumped into action if he had tried to kill me." It gave a suddenly happy bark, and the red head knew why, "Hello Karura."

"Hello Sweetie!" The red head turned to see the blonde standing in front of Hiruko. "Cool new puppet; it looks just like that Hiruko guy we always run into..." She looked at Sasori and they both shared a dull look for a few seconds. "…Really?" The red head gave an obvious nod. "Wow…" She gave a laugh, "Don't turn me into a puppet, thanks."

"I wasn't planning to." Sasori straightened up and walked over to the girl. "I see enough of you as it is; like hell I want you to be a part of my collection."

"But seriously, Sasori, this is your best Human Puppet to date…" She sat down on the floor and began to curiously run her hands over the exaggerated features. "…What did you do with Sky?"

He gave a shrug. "I killed it in order to make Hiruko stop smashing my puppets." Sasori gave a sigh and rolled his shoulders. "Turquoise, Spit, Tyke and one of my Rats were unfortunately destroyed beyond repair."

"You actually killed Sky?" She and the red head shared another look, before Karura rolled her eyes. "It's official; you're a monster."

"I can live with that." Sasori gave a smirk, "But anyway, to make up for their losses I have made Hiruko defensive, offensive, and deceiving." The red head attached chakra strings and opened up the hatch. He took a step inside and sat down, bringing the mask back down. Hiruko was far larger than Turquoise, and even though inside he was smaller than Roan, there was still plenty of room. Sasori made Hiruko stand up on his arms and legs, pleased to find that the limbs were fully capable of easily supporting the weight. The red head closed his eyes and focused on Hiruko's sight. He moved the puppet's eyes upwards to look at Karura and she jumped slightly, but then began to laugh. "Well? Do you like him so far?"

"Oh!" She laughed louder. "Sasori! Your voice sounds so deep and gruff inside of there!" Karura continued to giggle with amusement. "It really is deceiving! If you were wearing a cloak then I probably wouldn't be able to tell that he was a puppet."

"Wait, watch this." The red head opened up the mouth of Hiruko's giant mask and drew the metal scorpion like tail from it. He waved it about the room, careful not to hit anything with the extension. Sasori then wrapped the tail around Karura and lifted her into the air.

She gave a loud laugh and grinned widely, knowing that the red head had no murderous intent. "Okay, I am officially impressed! You are so insanely powerful!" At those words, Hiruko's tail abruptly stilled as did the red head. Karura blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

He placed the girl back down and retracted the tail back into the masks mouth before opening the hatch. Sasori opened his eyes and gave a frown. The blonde's company had actually pushed the memory of the man, Orochimaru, who had come seeking his power from his mind. She had that sort of effect on him. "Karura…Do you know an organisation known as the 'Akatsuki'?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at him and slowly shook her head in denial. "Nope; never heard of them. Why do you ask?"

Sasori simply gave a shrug, "I was walking through the village the other day and I heard two people talking about them. I've never heard of them before and I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't something that I should be aware of."

"I'm sure that whatever 'Akatsuki' is will be of no importance." Karura gave a laugh and took a black cloak from the wall. Sasori closed Hiruko's hatch once again as the blonde draped the handmade clothing over the puppet, succeeding in hiding both the giant sad mask and the fact that Hiruko was on all fours. "You think way too much." She straightened up and examined the sight, giving a smile. "You look almost human." The blonde fished around in her leg pouch for a few seconds, and then pulled out a black bandana. "This should finish it off perfectly." She kneeled on the floor and wrapped the cloth around Hiruko's jaw, successfully hiding the inhuman mouth. "There!" Karura stood back up and gave a laugh, "Now Hiruko is officially complete!"


	18. Face Paint Part One

As White as Blood

Chapter Eighteen

Face Paint Part One

Sasori tried to open the hatch of Hiruko, but it became somewhat caught on the robe. The red head rolled his eyes and used chakra stings to lift up the cloak, succeeding in opening the hatch. He looked up at Karura and gave a slow speechless blink. The girl gave a laugh, "Whoa; that is awesome!" She gave a sneaky grin and had the audacity to climb inside of the human puppet, sitting down in the red head's lap. Karura continued to give him the daring smirk and looked up at him with her pretty dark teal eyes. "Let's take it for a spin~" She spoke with more than a hint of innuendo.

Sasori rolled his eyes, "Hmph, just get off of my lap." Karura gave a laugh and actually did as she was told. The girl moved off of Sasori and sat down within Hiruko in front of him. The red head rolled his eyes again and closed the hatch, controlling the robe to once again cover the puppet's inhuman body.

-x-

Sasori and Karura were walking through the streets of Sunagakure inside of Hiruko. The puppet had a gait which consisted of a weird forward lurch, hiding the fact that the marionette was walking on all fours. The cloak dragged along the desert sand, leaving a snail-like trail behind it. Sasori had his eyes closed and was viewing the world through the puppet's consciousness, while Karura was simply watching through Hiruko's two glass eyeballs. "Hey, it's working! People are giving us a few odd looks because of our posture, but other than that they seem oblivious!"

"If you keep speaking so loud," Sasori spoke with a hushed voice, "then they will hear you. Hiruko isn't exactly sound proof, you know?"

"Oh! I know!" She still spoke with the same level of volume as before, completely ignoring Sasori's warning. "We should totally go to your house to see if we fool your Granny with it!" Karura gave a laugh.

"…" Sasori had never told Chiyo about his art of turning humans into puppets. "No…I don't want to show her." Yet.

Hiruko still wasn't perfect enough; when he finally decided to show the puppet to his Granny, Sasori wanted her to be as proud as possible.

-x-

The red head was perambulating about his Den, getting ready for a long journey which he would soon undertake. He placed his normal puppet scrolls carefully onto the table and he aloofly peeled off his Sunagakure flak jacket. Sasori – as of now – simply wore his fishnet shirt, his blue pants, some regular sandals, his medical pouch - which sat on his lower back - and also his weapons pouch. He had attained a plain black sash-like-belt which was strapped diagonally across his torso; it held both a giant scroll and a recognisably smaller scroll on his back. One contained all of his Human Puppets – plus Roan - while the latter was usually filled only with Hiruko. The marionette was currently outside of his scroll as Sasori was adding a small memento to his favourite puppet. The red head cautiously removed his Sunagakure headband and crouched down to Hiruko's height. He wrapped it around his beloved puppet's neck and he proceeded to give a small content smile; "Perfect at last."

Sasori stood up and sealed his puppet into its scroll before replacing it onto his back. "Master Sasori…" The red head looked over to the caged seven year old, raising an eyebrow at her quite indifferently. "Are you going somewhere?" Sasori's Den was practically bare; the table and the tool rack were both empty of any goods aside from Asuko - who sat as always. The genjutsu surfaces which Sasori had set up were as strong as ever and made the walls appear naked as well. Blood stains still tainted the floor, walls and the operating table, while a few unimportant supplies were situated within the hidden indented shelves.

Sasori was finally going to shed this hell hole of a village from his demeanour; he was going to leave, and the red head had made his decision only a few hours earlier.

(Flashback)

_Sasori was busily adding notes and diagrams to the sketch book which he had had for eight years now. There wasn't enough room to finish what he had been trying to figure out on the page he was currently on, so he had turned the page, but then Sasori abruptly stopped his scribbling. He had reached the end of the book at last. The back of the last page bore a drawing that he had scribbled long ago when he had first received the gift._

_He, Daichi and Karura stood childishly holding hands. The lines were sloppy, but each Genin had a chaste smile on their face as if all was well. It was a picture he had also once carved into the wall, but he had gouged it out of the rock long ago._

_Sasori stared at the picture for a few seconds before looking at the other thing which sat pressed between the pages. It was the light pink flower from Mother Island once again. The red head cautiously took it out and twirled the stem a few times before giving a hum in delicate thought. That was the end of the book; Sasori had nothing left to gain from staying in this godforsaken village._

_He finally made up his mind._

_The red head stared at the drawings and the pressed flower for a few moments longer before he sat back in the chair with an air of satisfaction. He looked up at the ceiling of his Den for a few thoughtful seconds before giving a slight ironic smirk. "The words 'Malevolent' and 'Benevolent' are extremely similar…Are they not?" Pakura was far too deep in sleep, so the red head was more or less talking to him self. "And yet, they both have opposite meanings…Vicious and kind…" He continued to stare up at the ceiling, but his eyes weren't focused, and the red head saw something almost tangible sitting just beyond the simple stone._

_Sasori of the Red Sand was going to leave Sunagakure forever._

(End of Flashback)

"Yes I am going somewhere." Sasori said it simply and he didn't feel like he needed to explain further. Karura was going to meet him soon. There was a sandstorm coming and he had to get his timing just right. "If Karura comes, tell her that I will be here soon." Pakura nodded in her cell and Sasori exited his beloved Den.

-x-

"Sasori?" Chiyo looked up at him, immediately noticing that there was something different about the red head. "What's wrong?"

He slowly blinked at her and then walked forward, holding out two scrolls to the woman who had raised him. "These contain my puppets Cephalo and Phoenix. They are for the Puppet Brigade; do as you wish with them." Chiyo frowned but took the scrolls nonetheless. "I want to show you my Art…My _true_ Art."

Without further to do, Sasori pulled the small scroll from his back and summoned his beloved Hiruko. The woman blinked at it before taking a step closer in order to gain a better look. "Why Sasori…" She stared at Hiruko with amazement and awe. "This is…This is wonderful…It's so realistic!"

"There is more." Sasori attached chakra strings to the cloak which covered the puppet and he pulled it off to reveal the large mask of its back. She stared in utter awe as the red head tempted her with his imagination and his art. He opened Hiruko's hatch and stepped inside, closing it with a click. "How is he?" The puppet made Sasori's voice gruff to Chiyo's ears and the red head opened the mouth on the puppet's back, drawing out the scorpion tail. He skilfully bobbed it up and down as if preparing to strike; "I call him Hiruko."

Sasori reopened his art work, surprised to find that Chiyo's face had changed from being absolutely awestruck to being absolutely appalled, "Hiruko? …I thought that he looked familiar…Sasori…You didn't…?"

"Of course I did, Granny Chiyo." He stood up out of the puppet, giving her a calm smirk of pride. "He used to be a pathetic mortal, but now I have transformed him into my own work of art…Eternal beauty~"

"Sasori…That's…That's _wrong_…" The red head gave a puzzled expression and then he frowned in confusion. Wrong? Did the old hag just call his art…'_Wrong'_? "You murdered this man?" Sasori gave a perfectly innocent nod, "…And then you turned him into a…'Human Puppet'?"

"I've killed and transformed a total of eighteen people so far." Sasori's small eager smile returned and his eyes brightened, "Aren't you proud of me, Granny? I've become the Shinobi that Sunagakure has always wanted me to be. You know that saying? 'Be careful of the things that you say, because children will always listen'." Sasori's smirk fell as he remembered once when Chiyo had told him to listen to her when the woman had first shown him how to create puppets. "I listened…I listened to everything that you ever taught me…And I am leaving this place…_Permanently_."

"…" Chiyo looked away from him in utter disgust, "_Leave_…And take that _monstrosity_ with you." Sasori's hopes of acceptance suddenly shattered, and he gave a sneer of annoyance; but he did not dare to try and persuade her into believing that Hiruko and the others were works of art. He had done something remarkable…He had done something that no one else had dared to do before him; and she acted as if he were a monster!

Well fine then; if he was a monster for being an artist, then dammit, he was a fucking _monster_!

…He was actually getting off fairly lightly…Chiyo was still a better puppeteer than Sasori, even if the red head was catching up quite quickly. "Very well then, Granny." He sealed Hiruko back into his scroll and he replaced it on his back. Sasori and Chiyo both looked at each other for a few drawn-out moments, taking in the other's looks on what was assumed to be the very last time the two would ever come face to face. This deduction was wrong, but it would still be a good twenty years until they did meet again.

Sasori turned and exited the house, already sensing the sandstorm which would help him to make his great escape.

-x-

Roan stopped outside the entrance of his Den and surfaced, allowing Sasori to exit. He sealed the puppet back into its scroll and then entered the tunnel, walking past the genjutsu at the very back of the cave. Karura was already waiting for him. She sat on the chair with Pakura on the floor against her feet, just like a simple household pet.

The blonde stood up when she saw Sasori, and she swiftly strolled over to him, pulling her best friend into a hug. "Sasori!" Karura pulled away and gave him her usual grin, but the red head could easily tell that she knew everything, "You've done some spring cleaning or something?" He gave her a stoic look and walked over to the almost empty water tank, putting the last of the liquid into a bowl. "…Sasori…When will you get sick of the world out there and come home?"

The red head brought the bowl over to the table, placing it down, "I don't think I'll ever come back…I don't think I ever _can_." He placed his hands into the water and splashed it over his face.

Sasori began rubbing off the face paint which he had proudly been wearing and reapplying since he had been seven.

"Just say you're sorry!" He snickered loudly at that, "…Then take me with you." The red head finished rubbing off the paint and he massaged his eyes to get the water out of them. He blinked a few times, satisfied, and turned to the blonde. Even though she wasn't crying, illusions of tears were running down her face just as water droplets were dripping off of his.

For just a moment, Sasori actually thought about taking her. He imagined them both running away with Pakura. Sasori ideated about letting the budding relationship between them blossom in all of its stupid glory. They'd find a small secluded house; get married, raise a family together…A too happy, perfect life away from Sunagakure and its tortuous customs. "No." That wasn't the life that Karura wanted, but most of all, it wasn't the life that Sasori desired. Happiness did not last forever, which meant that it wouldn't be what the red head truly sought. Eternity. "You won't leave Sunagakure, and I won't stay. I am no longer a child; I need to see the world."

Karura looked ever sadder, "…Stay a child, Sasori…Be a child while you can be a child…" Sasori knelt down on the floor in front of Pakura. The girl moved away from him slightly, but he managed to gain a good grip on her chin. Sasori's hand delved into his medical pouch, his fingers running over his favourite kunai knife handle. He had thought it over; it would be best for him if he were to do away with Pakura…And with Karura as well. They knew too much, so they had to die…

…He couldn't do it.

Even now he could not do away with the pet and with his puppet master; Karura almost had complete control over him, even though it would be a long time until he realised this epiphany. His fingers moved across the kunai towards a small vial, and he pulled out one of the many small needles from inside of it, bringing it to the girl's eye.

"But don't you see? Both of us are no longer children…We lost that amorality and innocence long ago…Too long ago…Before we would like to even admit to." Without further to do, the red head inserted the needle into the small girl's eyeball. Pakura muffled a cry of pain, and Sasori attached chakra strings to both her and the sharp metal.

With his left hand his threads kept Pakura from moving, while his right guided the needle into the memory core of her brain. He gave a sigh once it was imbedded. "You're getting rid of Pakura's memories?"

"It was either that or to dispose of her life; I'm being merciful." Sasori let go of his right hand chakra threads and dabbed his five fingers against her skin. His pinkie on her left, his thumb on her right, and his middle three digits on her forehead. Sasori made a half ram seal with his left hand, letting go of the chakra threads. "Memory-Concealing Manipulation." He pulsed chakra through his fingertips into the girl's head; through her brain and then into the small needle. "Activate." Her eyes widened slightly and Pakura gasped. Sasori stood up, and she immediately fell unconscious, collapsing onto the hard ground with a thud. The red head brushed him self off and looked to Karura. "She won't be able to remember anything about me or this place. I'm leaving her under your care." Sasori walked over to the table, picking the bowl back up and using the remainder of its contents to water his beloved plant. "I'm also leaving Asuko in your care. She doesn't require feeding as she can get perfectly good bugs for herself to eat."

He placed the bowl down and brought his hand to his plant's head. Asuko gave a whine and nuzzled his palm somewhat more forcibly than usual. It was as if she was telling him not to leave, but Sasori didn't take the plant's advice.

"Sasori…" He turned around to look at his best friend. She was standing as strong as ever, the same passion in her eyes mixed with painful despair. Karura gave him a grin, even though it was obviously forced; "You have to come visit me one day…You get that?"

"…" Sasori actually gave his best friend a smile; a real smile. It was unbelievably funny to see how hard she was trying just to keep herself from crying. "Fine then; I'll come back to Sunagakure to see you…It might be a few years…" Sasori's smile turned into a smirk. "But when I return, I'll have insane powers like the rest of the monsters out there."

Karura continued to grin painfully, "Promise!" She put her hand out for Sasori to shake, "Promise that you will come back for me one day."

The red head was still for a few seconds, before he put his hand forward to take his best friend's. They tightly held onto the other's hand, as if they knew it was the last time that they would ever see each other alive. "I promise you that we will meet again."

Their bracelets shone in the electrical lighting; Sasori's scorpion - which had once belonged to another friend - fiercely glimmered, while Karura's wolf bravely glowed. The bracelets clinked together neatly in a sort of seal; that they would reunite in the future.

-E-

Somewhere in the world, a woman thought that she heard a soft ringing resounding from her silver bangle, or more specifically, from the innocent dove that was set in the metal…She frowned down at it, before turning her gaze towards her growing belly; she had just reached the third month of her pregnancy…Was this a sign?

-E-

"There is something else I want you to have." Sasori let go of her hand and moved back over to the table, picking up the three scrolls he had put aside earlier. The red head turned back to his best friend and held them out to her. Karura took them and then looked up at Sasori questioningly, "My puppets Crow, Black Ant and Salamander. Give them to your first born son and let Chiyo teach him how to control puppets. Maybe, one day, he will be an even greater puppeteer than my self."

Karura gently shook from the intensity of the emotions which were welling up inside of her. She was still grinning though, even when her first tears began to fall. "Thank you so much, Sasori. I will give them to him…Just you wait and see! He will become the best puppeteer in not only Sunagakure, but the entire world!" Her lip quivered, but she fought back the sobs which were scratching at her throat like claws.

The red head gave her a smirk, "I trust you with them, I trust you with Pakura here, and I also trust you not to give any information about me to Sunagakure such as this location." She quickly nodded. "Good…" There was a silence between them for a few seconds as they simply looked at the other, but they didn't even bother to try and remember what the other looked like. They had promised to meet again.

Karura walked forward and brought the red head into a final embrace. Sasori was still for a few seconds, before he also wrapped his arms around her in return. They held each other for at least a minute. Karura gave an odd noise which was a mix between a sob and a laugh. "You really do look sexy without that stupid face paint on…" Sasori rolled his eyes at the comment, but he was wearing a smirk as he did so. "And I won't hold it against you-" Her voice cracked with sadness but she quickly regained her composure. Karura took a deep breath in, and gave a sigh as they pulled apart and she grinned just as cheekily as ever at the red head, tears bravely drying. "I won't hold it against you if you fall in love with some slut out there; just try to keep some standards." She gave a laugh which was actually half real. "Don't worry about me though, I mean, just look at my killer good looks!" Karura gave another arrogant laugh, continuing to grin at the red head, "The guys are practically lining up to have my hand in marriage! Geez, you must really be gay to walk away from a perfect girl like me!"

Sasori smirked at his best friend, ignoring the last comment while shaking his head is sarcastic disbelief. "Who the hell would want to marry you? You're like a little yappy dog that would attack anything that moves."

Karura gave a laugh, "You know me so well, Sweetie!" She stuck her tongue out at him. It would be the last witty banter which the two would ever share together. "Now get lost! You're scaring off all the pretty guys!" Karura grinned at him with the usual insane look. "Go sew-in-a-manly-way elsewhere!"

Sasori caught on to what she was really trying to say; the sandstorm would be over soon, and it was his best chance to get away in the case that Chiyo had told anyone about Hiruko. "Fine then, I guess I can't keep the guys waiting much longer for a chance to get with you."

"Here," Karura unslung a backpack from her back and held it out for Sasori to take, "it's just some supplies; food, water and a bit of ryo." She gave him a small, sad smile, "I had a feeling that something was up when you actually _wanted_ to see me." The blonde gave a small humourless laugh and Sasori took the bag from her. "Just kidding; I was actually on my way back from a mission and it took less time than I had first thought."

"Thank you, Karura…For everything." He slung the bag onto his back and turned, leaning downwards. The red head scooped up the unconscious body of Pakura, and then straightened his posture once again, "Here." Sasori turned and placed the little girl into Karura's arms, "Tell Sunagakure that you found her wandering the desert." The blonde gave a nod and held the unconscious girl in a motherly sort of way. "Now; I have to go…"

They both stood for a few seconds, before Karura gave a nod, "I know…" She gave another small brave smile, "Come back for a visit soon and don't forget your promise…Goodbye…Sasori of the Red Sand."

Sasori gave her a nod and walked to the exit of his Den, where he once again stopped. "…Goodbye 'Karura of the Loud Mouth' and 'Pakura of the Always Asleep'…" He looked back one last time, gazing at his living friend for the last time; "Live the life that you've always wanted without me." Sasori lifted up his arm to show Karura the scorpion bracelet on his wrist; defence, self protection and calm. "And whether the curse thing is true or not, one day all of our bracelets will reunite after all."

The girl grinned at him and supported Pakura with one hand, revealing the bracelet which she still wore on her wrist as well. The wolf flickered with light as if it were momentarily alive; loyalty, success and perseverance. "Yeah; I'll be waiting for that time, Sasori."

The red head looked away from his friend, "Don't worry, it won't be long…I hate to keep others waiting." With that said, he exited the Den which he had made into a home, leaving behind his loyal pet plant, his obedient human guinea pig, and his best friend.

-x-

Sasori stepped out of Roan at the desert's end, resealing the puppet inside of its scroll. The red head stood alone in front of the broad stretch of trees which symbolised the River Country and his unknown future. He felt a sense of foreboding - even though he had been pass the line of trees many times before. The sandstorm which ravished the wasteland behind him was dying down, and Sasori would have to leave; it was now or never. He was still for a few seconds, before the red head reached for another scroll on his back.

"There is nothing out there that I can't handle." He summoned Hiruko and crouched down in front of the puppet, removing the Sunagakure headband from around its neck. "We'll be going incognito for a while." Sasori slipped the Shinobi forehead protector into his medical pouch and climbed into his favourite marionette. He closed the hatch and covered the sad mask with the black cloak. Safe inside his work of art, Sasori did not even hesitate in crossing the line of trees.

He was leaving it all behind. His brutal past, his monotonous present, and his predetermined future.


	19. The Tea Country

As White as Blood

Chapter Nineteen

The Tea Country

It had been two months since Sasori had left Sunagakure, and the war had actually proved to be useful towards his survival. He had made up a fake story to tell to people who asked him about his background. Basically his small village had been completely destroyed by the army of Iwa, and he was now a refugee. He found that people believed it without question. Sasori was currently residing in a small inn that was located on the south west side of the Tea Country. In order to get there without his old puppets, he had had to peregrinate all the way through the Fire Country, though he had journeyed inside of Hiruko which had made the journey longer but easier.

Sasori gazed around his small room, giving a slight hum. It was not luxurious, but it had all of the necessities. The red head did not have a lot of ryo to spend, but he had been doing odd jobs for the owner of the Inn, earning him enough money to survive. The owner was a kind elderly woman who had Sasori performing mundane tasks that would be considered D-Rank back in Sunagakure; tasks such as picking up supplies from the nearby market, weeding wild plants from the woman's herb garden - demeaning tasks such as those. In exchange, the woman gave him some pocket money and allowed him to stay at the inn for free.

Some people would do anything for a pretty face.

"Ah, Yoshiko!" That was Sasori's fake name…Well, not entirely fake as it was his real last name, but there were a few rumours going around, even in this secluded area of the world. His title 'Sasori of the Red Sand' was far more infamous than he had ever thought capable. However, even though people knew his name, no one actually knew what he looked like outside of Sunagakure. They just described him as a monster who rode inside of a giant scorpion, snatching up people in the desert.

There were some odd rumours concerning Sasori of the Red Sand, however. Some said that he brainwashed captured Shinobi into doing kamikaze fighting techniques against their own people. Others said that he had been created from the blood of a demon who had sworn to destroy the world. And there was a fresh rumour spreading about that Sasori of the Red Sand had vanished off the face of the world, though it was but a murmur.

Sunagakure had not added him to their Bingo Book, or revealed the information that he had defected from the village. This was probably due to his infamous exploits of killing even refugees who came to Sunagakure. Sasori had been more valuable to his village than he had thought. So the Wind Country wasn't going to come out and reveal the fact that one of their most feared weapons was no longer under their control.

At least, they wouldn't while this war was raging. Afterwards was a different matter altogether which Sasori would have to deal with sooner or later.

The red head still had Roan and his Rats, but the rest of his oeuvre was complied of his Human Puppets. What annoyed him though was that during the last two months, he had only been able to add one other mortal to his collection, and they had only been a mere merchant.

Sasori looked at the old woman innocently, blinking his large chaste brown eyes slowly and deceivingly. "Yes, Mrs Jiyuu?" He had become fairly skilled at using his youthful appearance and his 'innocent child' act to hide the fact that he was actually a Jonin levelled missing-nin.

The old woman smiled at him, the wrinkles on her face moving with her change of expression, "I was wondering if you could guide a poor old lady like me to the nearby fishing village? My husband is coming back today from a fishing trip, and I haven't seen him in ever so long. But because of this war and my old age, I would feel a lot safer if someone were to lead me there. Is that alright?"

Sasori gave the woman a sweet, fake smile; "It would be no trouble at all, Mrs Jiyuu." With his level of skill, performing such inferior tasks made him feel sick to his stomach, but he had to make a living somehow.

-x-

It had been a half an hour walk to the fishing village. Sasori and the old woman stood at the port, waiting for her husband's ship to return. The red head stood, trying to act like he wasn't as impatient as he really was; Sasori hated to be kept waiting and to also keep others waiting.

The red head could have killed the woman so easily at least twenty times by now if he had wanted to, but he didn't. She was actually more valuable alive than she would be in being added to Sasori's collection. He wasn't looking for easy prey; a collection was about quality, not quantity. "Well, they are taking longer than I expected." She smiled up at the red head sweetly, "Here," the woman placed a few ryo coins into Sasori's hand, "you can buy yourself a small treat while you're here, but just be back at this spot in half an hour. Is that alright?"

Sasori gave her another fake smile, internally giving a sigh of relief at having something to ease the boredom. "Thank you, Ms Jiyuu; I will be back soon." She smiled at the red head and gave him a tender shooing motion. Sasori turned and he began to perambulate, his fake smile instantly dropping to a slight sneer before it became just his usual aloof expression as he began to look for a stall which interested him.

The market place was mostly full of stores selling fresh fish, though there were the odd ones selling different goods. Fruits, vegetables, clothes, poorly crafted jewellery, toys for children, plants, and even ice-cream. Compared to the market place of Sunagakure, there was a wider range here. In a place this far away from the fighting, Sasori was baffled by just how calm it was. There was a war going on, but if you went up to the people and asked their opinion of it, at least half wouldn't have even known that there was indeed a bloody war raging.

The red head continued to look around the stalls, none sparking much interest in him at all. Sasori didn't want to waste his money on food, as that would not last long, but he was considering buying an ice-cream any way. His thoughts stopped when he noticed a new stall that was selling books. He neared the shop, noticing that while there wasn't a large selection, there were at least ten novels. Sasori stopped in front of the stall, the owner giving him a bright smile. He was about middle aged, with a plain countenance except for a somewhat small nose and a pair of thick glasses.

"Hello there, how can I interest you today? I have books with lots of pictures in, novels with large words. Science fiction, fantasy, romance," he actually gave Sasori a small wink, "if you want to learn some stuff that'll impress the ladies~" The red head simply shook his head in boredom, "Well no need to fret; I have more! Mystery, training guides, picture books, fairytales-" Sasori raised an eyebrow and repeated the last genre with interest. "Yes, fairytales!" The man picked up a book from the table and handed it to the red head.

It was titled 'Into the Woods', and had a picture of a moon, a forest, and odd characters on the cover. In the very centre was a large plant stalk which rose high into the sky, moving off of the cover completely. Sasori raised an eyebrow at it, and flipped through the book of short storied fairytales. He stopped onto one line and read it aloud, "The prince scoffed at the woman's pleas for him to have some sort of fidelity, immediately brushing her off, 'I was raised to be _charming_,' he stated bitterly, 'not _sincere_'." Sasori gave a hum and set it down. "I'll take it." The red head paid for the book with the money which the old woman had given him, though he also had to pay a little of his own frugally saved ryo for it. The stall owner took the currency, smiling while thanking Sasori and also wishing him a good day.

Sasori took the book and left, heading back to the dock. He saw that the boat had finally arrived, and Mrs Jiyuu was currently in a long embrace with an unfamiliar man. Sasori, not the least bit awkward, traipsed over to the duo. They parted and the red head was able to get a good look at the man. He was old, appearing to be a bit older than his wife, but just as kind. "Why," Mrs Jiyuu smiled, "this is Yoshiko. He has been such a big help lately!"

Mr Jiyuu gave a chuckle; looking down at the red head since Sasori was slightly shorter than the average height for his age – he had not yet had his final growth spurt. "Thank you, lad." The fifteen year old gave a nod, and the man continued to smile, "Well, let us be off then."

-x-

Sasori sat on his almost comfortable bed, reading the book he had bought earlier that day. The stories within the book were actually quite interesting, and a lot of the stories were unfamiliar to the red head, though a few were the usual hackneyed tales such as Nimble-Still-Creep, this time having the correct ending of the woman's child being taken as opposed to her guessing his true name.

The first story was about a boy who became friends with a white magical snake that granted him the power of invincibility, though the civilians looked down upon the child. The snake soon grew tired of the boy and left him, stealing all of the boy's favourite toys and his immortality. The child became an outcast and eventually was murdered by his own mother.

Another story was of a beautiful princess who was extremely finicky and refused to marry any one as she felt that she was better than the matches she was paired with. Despite this quality, the people still loved her as she was genuinely sweet to others who did not seek her hand, though many still wished to marry her. One night she was kidnapped, and even though she managed to escape by herself, she was far away from home and anyone who knew who she was. In her disoriented state, she was found by a handsome farmer, both immediately falling in love. They were married and lived one year of happily ever after, until the queen abruptly died of a strange illness.

In need of a new ruler, the people tracked down the princess in her small farmhouse while she and her lover slept. They killed her husband, disgusted that their princess would marry such filth, and they forced her to take a poison that caused her to forget everything that had happened since she had been kidnapped. They then came upon the couple's sleeping baby girl, and out of guilt, the people gave her to a widowed witch that had helped to find the farmhouse. The princess, with all her happy memories forgotten, became their queen, though she was never the same. People no longer wished to marry her due to her new unusually cold nature, a distinct opposite to what it had been previously, and she ruled the land without remarrying or regaining the memories of the short portion of her life that had been happy.

The next story was of the daughter that had been given to the witch. The woman had loved the little girl and raised her within a high tower in order to keep her safe from the outside world. The girl aged and soon became a beautiful young woman, but she yearned to explore the world that lurked far below her window. When she told the witch, however, she utterly refused to let the girl travel the other world, warning her through poetry that though there was still some good below, there was even more darkness. The girl, however, did not listen, and one day a handsome prince came about the tower. He had with him a magic bean, and once he planted it within the ground, it turned into a large bean stalk, which the girl climbed down.

The two fell deeply in love and left the tower, soon becoming married. The prince charming, however, was not faithful, and he soon fell into a loyal love with one of his servants - a male at that. Distraught and heartbroken, the girl cried for the witch, summoning her and begging to return to the safety of being away from the world. The witch, however, would not accept her back. She sung a song of lament, telling the girl that she had warned her; that she should have listened to her wise words and stayed safe from the world of her own free will. She left the girl, and with no other choice, the beautiful girl swallowed bitter poison and jumped off of the highest tower of her castle, landing in the cold sea below.

There were other stories as well, such as one of a plant that - at the loss of its master - began to eat humans; there was a story of a child who was eaten by a wolf, another of a boy who had hit his head and had awoken in the land of demons, and one of a goldfish that was actually a prince in disguise. Most of the stories had an unhappy ending, usually due to suicide or murder.

And Sasori found that he liked the stories with sad endings more so than the fairytales that possessed happy endings. They made him even more determined to live forever, so that there would be no chance of his ending being woeful.

-x-

Satisfied, the red head placed the book down on his side table, realising just how late it was. He lied down in the comfortable bed and soon fell asleep…Immediately beginning to dream.

_Sasori stood in the darkness, almost alone. The figure of Karura was there as well, standing a few feet away. She scowled, and began to speak the witch's song of lament, word for word. "This is the world I told you about…Couldn't you listen to me? Couldn't you have remained content, safe behind the high walls…As I could not…?" She gave a gentle sigh and walked over to the red head. Sasori found he couldn't move as Karura gave him an absolutely distraught look. Gently, the girl placed her hands to Sasori's countenance, tenderly petting his hair. "Now you know what is out there in the world…Are you happy now? Even I could never have shielded you from _Him_." She gave the red head a glare and practically spat the next words, "Or from _**Them**_." Sasori was confused. Who was 'Him', and who were 'Them'?_

_Karura then pressed her lips to the red head's and he uncontrollably closed his eyes. The world went completely black for a few more moments, void of any life, and then Sasori opened his eyes once more. But it wasn't Karura who pulled away from the kiss…_

_Extreme blonde hair waved as the girl pulled away, giving the red head a sarcastic sneer. Asuko. Sasori wanted to shove the girl away from him, but he still could not even move. "It doesn't matter what you say, children will never listen to you." Asuko released the red head's face, taking a step back. Sasori sensed that he was no longer fifteen, and that he had somehow become no older than eight once more._

_His flesh had vanished and he was but a pale pink outline – not quite pure, but not quite corrupt._

"_You just refuse to learn…" She continued to walk away, speaking her words with irony and sarcasm. "I tried to guide you, to warn you, but nope; you still wouldn't listen~" Asuko stopped and turned, giving the red head an utterly hopeless expression. "Children can only grow from something you love…To something you lose…" Out of no where, a dark shadow emerged from behind the girl. Her bright blonde hair waved slightly and the person behind drew a katana. Asuko morphed into a figure which was half her and half Karura with an ever hopeful smile playing on her lips. With one swift motion, the shadow behind sliced the image in half, _and Sasori woke up, sweating.

He sat up and looked around to see that the sun was shining outside the window. Sasori gave a sigh and looked over to the book which still sat where he had placed it earlier. "I hate dreams…"

-x-

Sixteen Years Old

It had been another two months and the war was still raging far away from where Sasori resided, but he couldn't really bring himself to care about it. He didn't question whether Karura was still alive, or Pakura, or anyone else for that matter. Sasori simply focused on his own life and what was important to him and his own survival.

He had been fairly happy with his latest additions to his gradually growing collection. His number had boosted to twenty five, an increase of six human puppets since he had left his village, though unlike in Sunagakure, they were not as impressive as the prey he had previously been offered. It depressed Sasori somewhat, but at least he was doing what he loved most in the world; making art.

Disposing of organs and blood had been an issue at first, but he had solved such petty problems over the course of time. He had soon figured out that he could simply seal the organs inside of a scroll and then proceed to burn it, and then he could pour the left over blood onto the garden outside. It made good fertiliser and the plants had been thriving ever since he had first arrived at the small building. Sasori still lived at the inn which the elderly couple ran together, and he was steadily saving his hard earned money up for supplies.

But Sasori was now experiencing something new; the company of an insane idea on how he might achieve his ultimate goal of life. But first he would have to leave the Tea Country and head to Konohagakure in the Land of Fire. Sasori had already begun to mentally plan how he would carry out the delicate assignment as soon as possible.

-x-

The red head stepped out of Hiruko and neared the entrance of the Leaf Village with his usual calm disposition. He had been ideating for a long time as to whether or not he should travel into the village while being inside of the puppet, or by wearing a henge, but he had dismissed both ideas. The prominent Uchiha Clan of Konohagakure had an eye technique known as the Sharingan which would be able to detect any henge that he could perform.

But he also could not go inside of Hiruko, as the equally important Hyuga Clan also possessed a Dojutsu which allowed them to see through solid objects. So the red head had had to risk the knowledge of whether or not he was wanted in the Land of Fire, as he was – covertly - in the Wind Country. Who knew if the rumours had really caused Sunagakure to disclose his information to Konohagakure?

Sasori sealed Hiruko into his scroll and placed him back into his pack with little hindrance. The red head wore clothes of the Tea Country, consisting of a light teal robe, a pair of black trousers and a plain grey shirt. A small Tea Country golden lotus symbol was stitched onto both sides of the cloak's shoulders and a much more prominent but identical emblem was on the back. Sasori had moved his scrolls and equipment into the pack that was now slung safely on his back, with a small pouch at his waist that contained both his ryo and a single kunai knife…Just in case he ran into any '_trouble_'.

The red head was nearing the large gates of the village, raising an eyebrow at the intimidating spectacle. They were open and looked almost unguarded, but Sasori knew for a fact that that was definitely not the case. He calmly and unsuspiciously traipsed through the entrance without any problem until…"Hey!" The red head blinked, feigning surprise as he looked to his left, to where a small stand stood with two Konohagakure Shinobi, one of which was beckoning for Sasori. He turned and walked over to the older duo, blinking his large brown eyes down at the sitting Shinobi, as innocently as possible. "What is your business here, boy?"

Sasori gave a small shrug, continuing to keep up his naive disposition, "I am seeking a fresh start; so I've left my family in the Land of Tea to come to Konohagakure in hopes of working as a carpenter." One of the Shinobi was a woman, and the other was a man; both seemed rather bored, but intent on doing their job. Sasori, of course, could always manipulate that to his own advantage, "I have travelled all the way here from the south west area of the Tea Country; seeking a new life of my own in this land." Sasori gave them an innocent, unnoticeably fake smile and changed his posture slightly so as to appear more fatigued.

It seemed that he was easily able to deceive the two Konoha-Crows without a second thought required, "Very well; welcome to Konohagakure. With this war going on we need all the help that we can get," the woman smiled back at him, though unlike Sasori, her smile wasn't fake; "You may go."

Sasori manipulated his boyish charm further and smiled deceivingly wider in fake appreciation, bowing politely, "Thank you." The red head turned and walked away from the stall, instantly dropping his fake expression for his usual stoic countenance, complete with a slight cruel smirk. Idiots, they should have known better than to trust a pretty face, especially with a war going on. He began to explore the village thoroughly, surprised by how dramatically different it was to what Sunagakure had been like.

Sasori looked upwards at the giant cliff face which loomed over the village, the countenances intimidating the young male. Three faces were carved into the cliff, and the red head guessed that they were those of the village's past and current Hokage's. Sasori raised an eyebrow at the odd sight and then looked around his new surroundings. Children were running around, laughing and playing, while people were walking without a care in the world and Sasori simply continued to explore, searching for his main target.

Eventually he reached the giant red building which stood intimidating and tall, towering over the village beneath it. The kanji for 'Fire' was printed prominently on the wall of the building, making it even more irritatingly noticeable. Sasori stopped to gaze up at the Hokage's domain for a few moments, before continuing his tittup so that he didn't appear even slightly suspicious.

Now, how was he going to get what he wanted?

(A/N- Please review Q-Q )


	20. Konoha and Ramen

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty

Konoha and Ramen

Sasori had been living in Konohagakure for two days by now, and he absolutely _hated_ it. The red head was too paranoid that somewhere someone of the Hyuga Clan was looking in at his room, and that he would be found out if he were to summon his puppets. So the red head had spent a lot of his time just improving his plan of action. He hadn't even tried to obtain what it was that he wanted just yet, but for a good reason. There was a festival coming up in three days time to celebrate a successful battle in the war; it was a perfect opportunity.

But until then, all the red head could do was sit around and wait. He had had a Rat scout the area inside of the building and he had located the room which contained the classified information that he was seeking. It was hidden near the centre of the domain and the door was guarded by two Shinobi, most probably elite Jonin. Sasori's Rats could easily sneak past them though, especially if they were mentally distracted.

So all the red head had to do was wait…Oh how he _hated _waiting.

-x-

Sasori was walking through the streets of Konohagakure, trying to keep what little patience he still held onto. Oh how he hated this stupid village so damn much. It brought back the memory that it was a Shinobi from Konoha that had taken away his parents. Sasori was sickened by the fact that he had to live around them, even if it were only for two more days.

As the red head continued to perambulate, a delicious, unknown scent was caught by his nose. He blinked as the smell was met with the growling of his hungry stomach, which caused Sasori to glare down at it, hating the fact that he had to eat. His stomach simply retorted by growling once more, demanding to be fed. Sasori gave a sigh and began to follow the scent, searching for the source of the delicious odour.

He stopped and blinked when he noticed that it was wafting from a small shop, and Sasori raised an eyebrow at it. The place was not that large and it was made up of just a small stool seating area and the kitchen. White pieces of cloth hung down from the roof, blowing in the wind with various kanji sprawled upon the surfaces. On one side was a glowing snow white lantern, while on the other side was another, but with a blood red colouration. The place was apparently called 'Ichiraku Ramen'.

Sasori gave a slight frown and traipsed over to the place, parting the white cloths as he entered. The red head sat down on one of the empty stools, looking around with little interest. Only one other person was currently seated there, sitting with only one chair dividing the stranger from Sasori. He was a brunette child of probably seven years old, and he was currently busy slurping up the broth from the bowl in front of him.

"Well now, I haven't seen you around here before!" Sasori flinched in weary surprise and quickly looked over to the man who stood in the kitchen. He was probably in his late twenties, and he had brown hair which was mostly covered by a square hat. The red head slowly blinked questionably at the youthful man, "Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, my name is Teuchi, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello," Sasori once again blinked at the man, "my name is Yoshiko." He inspected the menu on the wall for a few seconds, but in retrospect he had absolutely no idea what 'Ramen' was, "…Can I have what he is having?" Sasori pointed at the child who sat close by, having decided that what remained of his food looked extremely appetising.

"Ramen with pork it is. And might I add that your hair is very nice; aside from Choza we don't get many red heads around here. Did you know that red hair is a sign of good fortune and royalty? You must be very lucky." He smiled down at Sasori and began to set to work on the red head's order. Sasori nodded – ignoring the stupid remark about his hair colour - and began to wait; pretending not to be impatient, though he wasn't really succeeding. The sixteen year old began to tap his finger on the counter top, trying to ease his boredom, wishing that he had chosen something instant for lunch.

"Yoshiko, right?" Sasori looked over at the seven year old boy who had addressed him, managing a slight nod. The child had stopped stuffing his face momentarily and was currently smiling happily at the red head, "My name is Iruka! You're from the Tea Country, right?" He was referring, of course, to the red head's cloak and the golden lotus which was sewn on its back and shoulders. Sasori simply gave an obvious look and another subtle nod, repressing the sarcastic comment concerning the kid's observation skills. "Wow; that is a fair way away." He raised an eyebrow at the red head and then gave a chuckle, and Sasori almost wanted to tell the brat that he had travelled across four different countries within the past four months since he had left his home, "Did you come here looking for some Shinobi to hire? I mean, there aren't any Shinobi in the Tea Country so they usually rely on Konoha's forces."

Sasori gave a simply shrug, "No, I'm just here to take in the sights and to try and earn a living as a carpenter." Iruka gave a nod, smiling widely at him and Sasori at last decided to take in the child's appearance. The kid had a long bandaid running across the bridge of his nose, which seemed to make the kid slightly more irritating than he already was.

Why the hell did these Konohagakure denizens _always_ want to strike up a conversation? It annoyed Sasori to no end; the people of Sunagakure were more inclined to remain quiet unless spoken to, and to not act as casual around complete strangers as these residents of Konohagakure seemed to be.

"Well Yoshiko," Sasori looked back at the restaurant owner, who was smiling down at him, "here you go." He placed a large bowl in front of the red head, and it smelt absolutely delicious.

Sasori looked down at the food, his mouth watering as the scent wafted into his nose; it smelt like bliss. "Thank you, it looks delicious-" The red head stilled for a few seconds as he automatically realised his error.

"Huh?" The man tilted his head to the right, "That's an odd accent you have there…I haven't heard one like that in a long time." Sasori had been covering up his Sunagakure accent since he had been in Konoha, but he had been preoccupied by the sight and smell of the food. DAMN HIS STUPID HUMANITY TO HELL! "It doesn't sound like any Tea Country accent that I've heard before…"

Sasori masked his displeasure, blinking up at the man innocently, "What?" The red head once again changed his voice back to the false vocals he had created for his disguise, "I've never noticed that I've had an accent before…"

The man gave a slight, confused sound, "I could have sworn…Before, you sounded a lot like the Sunagakure-nin who used to visit the village before the war…A few of them would occasionally stop by here for some ramen..." Teuchi looked at the red head for a few seconds and Sasori's hand moved to rest on his waist pouch. He was fully prepared to draw the kunai knife, kill the man along with the stupid brat, and make a run for safety if need be…It would set his plans back by at least a year, but he'd rather that than getting caught now.

Sasori tilted his head naively at the man, continuing with his 'innocent' act, "Sunagakure? Well, now that you mention it, my neighbours in the Tea Country would sometimes hire people from the Land of Wind to perform tasks for them. Perhaps the family picked up the accent from the Shinobi, and then I picked up the accent from my neighbours."

The man gave a thoughtful hum, "I guess that would explain it then." He then smiled brightly at the red head, giving a soft chuckle, "Well, don't let your ramen get cold. Sorry for putting you on the spot there, I'm just a little paranoid with the war and all; it has really been affecting my business."

Sasori gave a nod and looked back at the dish with curious, hungry eyes. There was a runny broth that contained noodles, and was decorated with a bit of bok-choy. A few slices of pork sat in the middle of it all, and to the side sat a few white naruto rolls which had been expertly sliced, the swirl in the centre obnoxiously pink. He knew what naruto rolls were as he had had them in the Land of Tea, and he had also seen bok-choy during his stay there as well, though they had neither in Sunagakure. Sasori pulled apart the chopsticks which had come with the dish, leaving him with two separate sticks.

He skilfully picked up a bunch of noodles, leaning down slightly so as to slurp them quietly into his mouth. It was one of the most delicious foods he had ever partaken in, though the red head hid his bliss. He gave the man a kind, fake smile, "It is very nice; thank you." This time he made sure to keep his mind set on holding up his fake voice, knowing that if he repeated the same mistake twice there would definitely be consequences. Teuchi smiled back at the red head, albeit genuinely, and told Sasori that he was flattered with the complement.

The red head was just about set to eat peacefully in silence, when the stupid brat from earlier once again began to bother him, "Did you just say that the people next door to you hired Sunagakure Shinobi to do jobs?" Sasori didn't even bother looking at Iruka as he continued to eat, giving an unenthusiastic nod. "Why would they hire those _monsters_?" The red head was slightly taken aback by the comment, though he hid his initial shock. Sure, he thought that Sunagakure was made up of a bunch of monsters, but he had always been taught to think that the rest of the nations were even more monstrous. "I hope it was before the war begun since the Land of Tea has such strong links with Konohagakure." Sasori watched the kid give a stubborn nod from his peripheral vision, as if the boy were assuring himself that he was correct. What a stupid brat. "Sunagakure-Nin are only good at being killing machines, like…Oh! That 'Sasori of the Red Sand' guy that everyone always talks about!"

Okay, _now_ the brat had his attention. The red head swallowed the food he had been chewing and gave the brunette an inquisitive expression, "'Sasori of the Red Sand'? Who is that?"

Iruka stared at Sasori as if he were insane, "A _monster_ from Sunagakure. He killed a group of over a hundred refugees single-handedly and without mercy!" Well, not quite true as Takeo had killed about half of them, but that was the way rumours usually worked, "Sasori of the Red Sand is a being, said to be born from the blood of a demon that was killed while he was plotting to swallow the world!" Of course they would come up with some kind of propaganda like that bullshit, "Sasori creates puppets containing the souls of all those whom he kills! He has a giant scorpion under his command which he uses to capture wandering souls in the wasteland of the Wind Country and he then takes them back to his underground lair in order to do experiments on them!" Pakura was really the only one who Sasori really did any major testing on…The boy continued to go on and on, listing details which one would expect from an animal, not from the red head who sat less than a metre away from the boy, "He is an inhuman monster!" Well, that last part was true…

"Well, what about the latest rumour?" Both Sasori and Iruka looked to the brunette, blinking at him as if they were both oblivious. "They say that Sasori of the Red Sand has suddenly vanished. It is like he has just dropped off the face of the world! But these are all just rumours that Sunagakure hasn't declared to be true or not…" He gave a shrug. "But I reckon that the whole 'Sasori of the Red Sand' is just a myth to scare little children and to keep people from wanting to go to Sunagakure. What do you reckon, Yoshiko?"

Sasori gave a frown of thought, and then a shrug, deciding that it was an utterly stupid thing to ask whether or not he existed, "I believe the whole thing is just one big fairytale," Iruka gave him a hurt look, the child obviously a believer in the red head's existence, "but I guess that we won't know for sure until we are told whether or not they are true."

Iruka gave a snicker, "Even if they did tell us whether or not the rumours were true, why should we believe them? Sunagakure is our enemy; we are good, and they are bad." Sasori raised an eyebrow at the boy, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu.

It was just like something that Sasori had once said when he had been only five years old… "You don't believe any of that bullshit, do you? There is no such thing as 'good' or 'bad'. One person's enemy is another person's hero; it is simply bias to state that one group is always the 'good guy' in a situation." Sasori had only learnt of this himself after he had departed from his village.

Iruka was quiet for a few seconds before he turned back to his ramen with a thoughtful frown. The red head had appeared to at last succeed in actually shutting him up…Or so he had thought. The brunette abruptly turned back to Sasori and pointed his chop sticks at him accusingly with a dark glare, "Don't act so high and mighty!" The child was actually irked off at him; how amusing, "Who are you to say such things? You don't know _anything_!"

Oh great, it was like another Takeo…

Sasori gave a sigh, rolling his eyes and ditching his whole innocent act for the meantime, looking him straight in the eye, "And who are you to say that you know? How do you know who is 'bad' and who is 'good'? What do you know of the world out there; I bet you have never even left Konoha, let alone the Land of Fire. There isn't a war going on just in this village; you aren't the only ones who are experiencing death as a result. There are families in all of the nations that are being torn apart because of this stupid war; we don't need kids spurting out stupid propaganda bullshit - the Kages do that enough already. So don't tell me that I don't know anything, because then you are just insulting _yourself_."

Sasori gave a sneer at the boy and turned back to his food, continuing to eat the delicious delicacy dully without paying the kid any further attention. Iruka was officially shut up. The brunette, with nothing left to say and a tad embarrassed, quickly finished eating, paid the man and then the seven year old disappeared out of the shop. Sasori resisted the sadistic smirk which was trying to disfigure his lips at the prospect of being able to dine in peace at long last, "…He is just a kid you know, you didn't have to be so hard on him…"

Sasori regained his innocent composure, looking upwards at the owner of the ramen store, before giving a slight shrug and glancing back down to his food, "He would have to learn it sooner or later; he needs to learn some manners."

"…" The brunette gave a sigh and shook his head, picking up Iruka's dirty dishes with the intent of cleaning them, "You are definitely not from around here, my friend." Sasori almost wanted to snap at the older man, yell at him that he was no 'friend' of the filthy Konoha-Crow's, but his commonsense kept him from doing something so blatant. So instead he just continued to eat in silence.

-x-

Finally, it was the night of the festival and Sasori sat alone in his room, preparing his Rats for their mission, having decided on sending three in to retrieve what he was after. Sasori gave a sigh as he attached the emergency explosive tags to the Rats; in the case that they were discovered, he would have no choice but to have them perform kamikaze techniques in order to destroy all evidence and hopefully kill the person who had spoilt his meticulous operation.

-x-

The festival had begun, and unlike everyone else in the village, Sasori simply sat in the middle of his room. All of the lights had been turned off and he had already deployed his Rats. Sasori made them slip through crevasses and cracks of the village with such skill that anyone who saw them would be fooled into believing that they really were just simple tailless rats. Good, let them think that.

-x-

The Rats were in the Hokage's domain, and sure enough there were fewer people than usual. Sasori's minions ran on through the building, slipping into the shadows whenever possible. Eventually they reached the door; two elite Jonin stood on guard, but neither seemed at all happy with the work they had been assigned to on such a night. Both were groaning away in dismay but Sasori didn't bother to concentrate on what they were saying. His puppets easily slipped by and reached the door. Sasori flattened the puppets - the usefulness when they didn't have organs or bones to block the way - and slid beneath the doorway. Success. The Rats began to scrounge about the place, searching through the many aisles of valuable information. There was just one type of scroll that the red head required; the one he had come all the way from the Tea Country to gain.

They continued to go down the alphabetical isles, searching for 'U', but stopped when they reached 'R'. Sasori looked through their eyes and saw that there was a looming shadow in the darkness of the room. They were going through the scrolls of the section, eagerly looking for something. Sasori sent two of his Rats onwards to continue searching, while the third was used to keep an eye on the dark shadow. How could someone have physically snuck inside?

The two Rats finally reached the aisle which was marked 'U', and they moved to the very end of it, looking for 'Uz'. Sasori's other rodent continued to watch the strange figure, making sure that they were not a threat to his operation. His Rats found 'Uz' and then looked for 'Uzu'; the search grew easier with each discovered letter. Eventually, he found _exactly_ what he was looking for.

'Uzumaki'.

Perfect.

One of his puppets stood up on its hind legs, revealing the seal on its belly. The sealing tag was made to look like an explosive tag, but unlike the other Rats, it wasn't dangerous. Sasori's second puppet was busily taking all of the scrolls marked 'Uzumaki' and inserting them into the tag with little hindrance. There were not too many scrolls, but the red head was suddenly distracted by the person who was under the surveillance of his third Rat. They stopped looking at the scrolls and abruptly turned their head to look straight at the puppet.

Despite the darkness of the room, Sasori was able to clearly see a pair of glowing, gold, snake-like eyes, "Hmmm?" The shadow stopped what they were doing and walked over to the puppet. Sasori was just about prepared to blow the marionette up when the stranger picked the Rat off of the ground, but the red head was too late. They flipped the marionette onto its stomach and swiftly disabled the explosive tag. Sasori sneered darkly; dammit. "Now what do we have here? A toy?" The snake eyes looked critically at the Rat, before they actually noticed the red head's single chakra thread that was attached to it, "…A puppet…?"

Sasori almost choked on his tongue. Shit! He had used barely any chakra to control the Rat in order to evade detection, yet this shadow could easily sense the small amount which still was attached. They must have been very strong

"If this is a puppet, then somewhere nearby…There has to be a puppeteer~" The person began to skulk about for a few feet, but obviously didn't sense anyone in the room with them, "…Hmmm…" There was a puff of smoke and the person disappeared from sight. Sasori's Rat fell almost silently onto the floor, and the red head gave a frown. Oh well…He once again continued to use his other two puppets to steal the Uzumaki scrolls, but he was cut off by the same shadowy figure, though this time they were only a few metres behind the sixteen year old, "Hello there, Sasori of the Red Sand~ Have you come to accept my offer after all this time~?"

The red head's eyes snapped open and he swiftly got to his feet, spinning around to face the intruder, acting completely on his well trained instincts. The snake like eyes watched him in his dark room, and Sasori could practically taste their owner's potential, "What are you?" The red head's puppet scrolls were on the other side of the room to what he was now; he could always pull them to him with chakra threads, but he might not even have the opportunity to even use them. Sasori thought quickly on what to do, finally making a snap decision.

He sent out chakra strings, but not to his backpack. They stuck to the light-switch for the room, and easily turned it on. A light filled Sasori's rented room, revealing the dark shadow for who they really were. The owner of the pair of eyes was none other than…Why hadn't the red head recognised the person sooner? The familiar being gave a creepy grin and licked their lips with an exceedingly long, inhuman tongue, "Do you remember me now, Sasori~?"

The red head slowly blinked at the person, but remained in his fighting stance. He had never actually decided on whether the freakish human who had stood before him less than a year ago - and now was before the red head again - was actually Sasori's friend or foe…"_Orochimaru_."


	21. The Operation

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-One

The Operation

Sasori and Orochimaru stood in the small room, staring intently at the other. The red head was in a fighting stance, prepared for any move that the snake could possibly make, while the raven haired man simply smirked at him. He now bore clothes of Konohagakure, including a flak jacket and a forehead protector, rather than the odd cloak that he had worn when he had first seen him.

Sasori was cautious and he did not move from his current stance, keeping his eyes set on the snake. Orochimaru gave a musical chuckle, smirking wider - much to the red head's chagrin. "My, you haven't changed one bit since we last met, Sasori~ I had heard rumours that you had shed yourself clean of that forsaken village of yours, but I had not heard anything definite." The man gave a hum, and his smirk fell to a thoughtful countenance. "I guess this means that they are true…But what are you doing all the way in little ol' Konoha?"

"I came here…" Sasori frowned at the older male, giving a gentle grunt. "I came here to retrieve scrolls on the Uzumaki Clan and their fuinjutsu. They were well known for their sealing techniques, and I'm here to take information on some of these. I'm in need of a special sealing technique which I was hoping to find here." Sasori continued to leave his eyes staring at the snake, making sure to not lower his guard in the slightest.

Orochimaru gave a chuckle, "Oh, isn't that so like you, Sasori? It is exactly the type of thing that _I_ would do. Let me guess; you have an idea on how you can gain immortality?" The red head was still for a second before he slowly shook his head. "You haven't?"

"I won't be able to gain immortality; but I will be able to achieve Eternity." Sasori continued to stand true and strong for his beliefs. Art, after all, was beauty which never fell or was destroyed by the likes of this snake which stood before him.

Orochimaru frowned at him, and gave a sneer. "Immortality? Eternity? There is no difference, and you know that."

"There is a difference. Immortality leaves out the ability of death occurring." Sasori gave the man his own smirk, looking at Orochimaru with both boldness and bluntness. "To live for an Eternity means that you can simply avoid death forever, but it still leaves the chance of you being taken. I will live for an Eternity," Sasori continued to give his almost cruel smirk, "but I won't be immortal. No one can be immortal."

Orochimaru gave a hum of thought, and then he - once again - smirked at the red head. "So I see…My, you really are erudite, aren't you? Or maybe you're just a bit too philosophical for your age…" Sasori gave a proud nod. "Very well; but the offer I presented to you a year ago still stands."

"You're still looking for a partner?" The red head's smirk fell and he raised an eyebrow at the man, "It has taken you a long time, hasn't it?"

Orochimaru gave a shrug, "Well, I did locate a new partner, but he was unfortunately killed during an experiment of mine." He gave a sigh, as if he was actually saddened by the loss, "I should have realised that he definitely wouldn't have survived being digested by one of my snakes."

Sasori was slightly sickened by it all, but none the less, he did what he did next. "Give me two months." He straightened up, falling out of his defensive stance at last. "After that, I will be more than happy to join your organisation…Akatsuki, was it?"

Orochimaru gave a smirk, and a chuckle, "Very well then. But I'm going to be in Konoha for a while; just until I become the Hokage of his forsaken village. And then, after I reach that," he ran a hand through his hair and he didn't even bother to blink his snake like eyes. "I'll contact you…and then we'll burn this place to the ground."

Sasori gave a simple nod, "So we will meet again in two months time."

"Believe me…" Orochimaru gave him a cunning smirk. "We shall…Until then, I'll be looking forward to it." The red head simply gave a nod. "Well, Sasori of the Red Sand, continue with what you were doing. Retrieving Uzumaki scrolls, was it? Goodbye for now~" With that said and the agreement made, the snake disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The red head was still for a few seconds, before he walked over to the light switch of the room. He flicked it off and the place once again went dark. Sasori felt his way back over to the centre of the room, slumping down and attaching strings to his Rats once more, bringing them back to life.

He was shaking slightly.

-x-

Sasori was running. All of the scrolls he had obtained were in his back pack, and he was making a hasty get away. The sun had yet to rise and the entire village was as silent as death. Konohagakure's residents were currently asleep, and Sasori was moving extremely fast. He ran out of the front gates of the village, both guards too busy talking about the festival of the previous night to notice the blur of a person fleeing. Sasori was headed in the direction of the Tea Country, deciding to reside there for the rest of the two months.

He had a big operation he would have to perform. He needed to be far away from the Shinobi World for a while.

-x-

The red head sat within his Inn room, reading over the scrolls he had stolen. He had travelled all the way back to the hotel run by Ms Jiyuu. Sasori was positive of his privacy and the lack of Shinobi in the area, so it would be perfect for what he was about to do. He had read through three scrolls already, his highly intelligent mind being able to work out the codes quickly. They were actually almost identical to the writing they used in Sunagakure for the secret scrolls…The villages weren't too different, actually, and yet they were at war…Oh well.

Sasori dismissed the scroll and picked up a new one. His eyebrow rose and he gave a confused noise. It was oddly different to the others; the colouration on it was not red like the others. Instead, the sides of the scroll were a mystic blue. Sasori opened it, and found that not only were the colours different, but so was the writing. It was an entirely different code all together. Sasori stared at it for a few minutes, but he was unable to even work out the first word. He shook his head and put it aside; it had probably been put amongst the Uzumaki section accidentally.

Whatever it was didn't seem to be any kind of fuinjutsu, so it was of no use to the red head. Sasori continued to read through the scrolls on the Uzumaki Clan Jutsu, searching for one which would fit his needs.

-x-

Finally. Sasori has located a fuinjutsu which was perfect.

He had already finished the preparation and he was all set to begin his operation. The red head had already painted the seals required on the floor, and in the centre of it sat his future self. A small cylinder which had vein-like appendages that hung low and lifeless. The top of the container was snow white, and printed on it in the red head's own blood was the kanji for Sasori's name - reading as 'Scorpion'.

Everything was set up. His tools were set out in the area he would be working in just a few metres away, Hiruko stood waiting for his own part of the operation, and Sasori was all alone. The red head stood just outside the markings he had set up.

He didn't know why he had suddenly grown so nervous.

This operation could so easily turn wrong. He was going to die…But as he had once said long ago… In order to live forever, one has to die first.

The cost of this would be his life. But the prize would be Eternity.

Sasori swallowed the emotions which he was intending to kill and stepped into the seals. Immediately, the ink began to glow white around him. The red head ignored it and walked to the very centre of the markings, to the canister. Sasori ingested the last of his worries and began the procedure.

He made at least fifty required handsigns, his fingers moving in a blur of fast motions. Eventually, he completed half of the first step, and then he finished it. Sasori slammed his hand down on the kanji which the canister bore. "Sealing Technique: Living Coffin." The markings on the floor rapidly glowed brighter until Sasori was surrounded by a never-ending wall of white. Sudden pain coursed through his body, and it felt like he was having his limbs agonisingly ripped apart far too slowly. The red head managed to resist the scream that was clawing sharply at his throat-

When suddenly it all just disappeared. The pain. The light. The world.

Everything.

He was dead.

It had been a failure.

Sasori had wanted to live for Eternity, but he had only been granted a short life as punishment for his selfishness. There was a loud beating which was drumming away rapidly and incessantly, but eventually it slowed to a steady pace.

Wait…That was…A heartbeat…_His_ heartbeat…He was still alive!

It had been a success!

Sasori was so happy…But then frustrated. Oh dammit; he still had these stupid emotions! Sasori should have guessed that this would be the case since emotions originated in the mind rather than the body. He tried to sigh, but found that he didn't have a mouth…Or lungs…So Sasori settled for a mental sigh. Oh well, he would have enough time to kill his emotions.

Step one was a success.

He began to concentrate on his surroundings. He didn't have sight, or any other senses; just numbness and thought, but Sasori was still able to feel his own chakra. Hiruko still retained his chakra from when the man had been alive, and Sasori was able to easily pick up his signature. He tested sending chakra strings through the vein-like extensions of his new self and he found that they were perfect replacements for fingers.

Sasori sent chakra threads through them, successfully attaching them to the five lines of tough hair that Hiruko had and he pulled his canister self through the air. He successfully landed on the puppet's head, and he made the hairs supportively wrap around him. Sasori tangled his vein-like limbs into the hairs, and then concentrated desperately on Hiruko. The world suddenly lit up again.

He was now Hiruko's consciousness, and it was extremely weird. There was still the never-ending numbness, but he now regained some senses. Sasori looked around the room as perfectly as if the eyes he was peering through had always been his own. He flexed the puppet's limbs as if they were actually his, and he tried to speak. Sasori only succeeded in making an odd unintelligent growl, but that was to be expected considering the fact that Hiruko had no tongue or vocal cords. Oh, but since he had heard that then he also able to hear. Sight and hearing.

Taste, scent and touch… Sasori wasn't sure about taste, but he figured he probably wouldn't need food…Scent…He didn't need to breathe, so he guessed he couldn't smell. Touch…

Oh enough of this! He needed to set to work!

Sasori made Hiruko walk over to his own dead body which lay facedown within the seals.

As he walked across the markings, the ink did not light up. It was as if the scribbles knew that there was no life imminent within its premises. Sasori picked up his corpse, his old self lifelessly limp in the arms of his favourite puppet. The sixteen year old's red hair gently waved as Hiruko carried him over to the floor area he had set up for the operation.

He placed the body on the ground, turning his old self onto his back. Sasori's body was completely lifeless; his once innocent muddy brown eyes were wide open, foggy and sightless. Sasori simply stared at himself through Hiruko's vision, slightly stupefied. It was so weird to see himself lying dead.

It was as if he was having an out-of-body experience; but with a more macabre twist.

Sasori ran a hand down his mortal human skin. Sure enough, he could not feel it as he had once been able to, but Sasori could still sense that Hiruko's hand was touching skin. So he sort of had touch…

Enough. Sasori began to strip his old useless body of its clothing. Once done, he picked up the scalpel he had been using since he'd first started making puppets. Sasori placed the blade against the throat of his old self and he made a neat cut down to his lower stomach. The art was becoming second nature to him, and he could perform the operation easily enough even though he was in Hiruko's self rather than his own. He placed the scalpel to the side and began to pull back the skin of his old body. It was odd at first, but then he just told himself that it was just another dead body and another future puppet.

Sasori revealed his old insides, organs which had once kept him alive. He looked at them for a few seconds before he began to pluck innards from his dead body. One by one he pulled them out. Sasori finished drawing out the organs, noticing with little interest that the body no longer had a heart. Of course it didn't; his heart was now in the capsule which was his new self.

He made Hiruko pick up the cleaver, and he swiftly cut off Sasori's neck. He placed the butcher's knife back down and picked up the red head's old head. It stared back at Hiruko creepily through its dead eyes and its mouth was slightly open. Sasori looked at it for a while, before he once again set to work.

-x-

Sasori was currently healing up the scars he had created on his future body. He was delighted to find that he was still capable of using his ninjutsu. Sasori's Tender Touch Technique was curing the scars just as effectively as if he had been performing the technique through his old hands. As he continued to get rid of the marks, Sasori looked over his work so far. It was by far the most realistic puppet he had made to date.

Sasori was proud as he looked over the masterpiece which had once been his own human body through the use of Hiruko's eyes. It was so beautiful and complete.

-x-

He was almost finished. The scars were all healed, his new body was fully assembled, and it was time to test it out. Sasori made Hiruko take hold of the canister and he pulled it off of the puppet's head. He was still able to control his favourite marionette - despite his current state - and he made Hiruko insert him inside of the cylindrical hollow which he had made on the left side of his old chest. His canister was a perfect fit inside of the chest cavity. Sasori tangled the vein-like extensions into various holes he had drilled into the wooden lining of the hollow gap, holding on tightly and effortlessly.

Sasori concentrated all of his consciousness towards the puppet he had carved out of his own flesh. He lost all sense of the canister which contained his true self as Sasori invaded the marionette. A few seconds went by, and then the red head opened his old brown eyes. He looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds, before he made himself sit up. Sasori looked around the room, testing out his new body. He flexed both arms, and then both legs, finding that they moved just as smoothly as when he had been alive. So far so good.

Sasori tried to get up off of the floor, but miscalculated his movements and fell back down with a thud. He mentally frowned - since he needed work on how to actually make his physical face frown. The red head once again tried to stand, but again he fell back down. At least this proved that in this form he couldn't feel pain…Sasori was still for a few seconds, before he persistently attempted again to get to his feet. At last, he succeeded in his small conquest, standing up off of the ground at long last.

Walking was a lot easier, and he easily became a natural at it after just three steps. Sasori traipsed over to the mirror which sat on one of the four walls of the room, looking at himself. He looked just as he always had countenance-wise, except for a line which ran around his neck, signifying the joint. It was faint, though, and was mostly unnoticeable.

He began to try and make facial expressions. Firstly was a frown. It took at least a minute in order to achieve the goal, but after a few practises he could make the facial expression quite easily. Blinking was far simpler. Even though he didn't need to blink, it would be a good idea for him to learn and to do it naturally so that people would not realise he wasn't a human. He blinked at himself in the mirror, and the image repeated the action back at him. Sasori gave a smirk, easily managing to pull off the expression he was used to performing.

He then looked down at his bare body. It was so perfect. For flexibility purposes, his torso was made up of two sections which were replacements of his stomach area and upper chest. It was smooth with the only quirks being the edge where the two sections met and his heart container which read 'Sasori' boldly. He looked at his hands to find that they were exactly the same in appearance as when he had been human, but did they act the same? Sasori turned and sent chakra strings out of his fingertips, attaching them to Hiruko. He was able to just as easily control the puppet than when he had been mortal. Good.

Next up was speaking. Sasori opened his mouth and tried. All he could do was hum in the same tone as the sentence he had been trying to speak. He took in oxygen - even though he didn't need to breathe - but he needed air in order to give the frustrated sigh he had been keeping in. This rehabilitation process was going to take longer than he had hoped…But then again, he now had all the time in the world.

-o-

So that is the story of how I became a puppet…The End…Okay, that was a lie. My own self becoming my twenty-sixth Human Puppet is not the conclusion of my story. But do not worry, this tale - much to my chagrin - does not go for an Eternity either. But all shall be revealed in due time. The story will still go on, so do not believe that it is over just yet.

When I was sixteen years old, I turned myself into a Human Puppet; a work of True Art. And that was the first time in my life that I died. I lost my body.

I lost it, and gained a _better_ one.


	22. The Glass House

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Glass House

It had been two months since Sasori had been to Konohagakure, and he had improved his coordination of this new body dramatically. He had been vigorously pushing himself to get used to it, and he was now almost perfect. Sasori simply reminded himself that this body was still his last one, just with a few adjustments. The red head had mastered his self before, so it was simple to do it again.

He did not require food at all - since he didn't have a stomach - and Sasori also did not need sleep as often as before. In fact, he probably didn't need to rest at all, but he found that after at least a week, his mind would begin to lose mental capabilities. So Sasori had continued the routine of so called 'Sleep' almost every night, depending on whether or not he had anything else to do. Technically, the red head didn't sleep, but rather forced him self into a dreamless state of aware unconsciousness.

One night he had grown bored and he had not wanted to sleep, so he had made a new adjustment to his body. Sasori had changed his stomach area, stretching the skin and wood so as to form a walled cavern. Inside of it he had installed a long cable which ended with a sharp barb. It was reliable for defence and attack, similar in theory to Hiruko's tail.

Sasori was walking through the forest, habitually blinking his eyes just as often as when he had been a human. He didn't need to, but it made him appear more human to strangers. There was a slight rustling behind him, and Sasori pivoted on his feet easily, moving into a defensive position. "Who is there?" He had also mastered the use of his voice, even though it had been the most difficult task to achieve. Sasori frowned without any thought required to perform the action; he didn't sense anyone, nor did he see any.

A few seconds went by, when he suddenly noticed a medium sized snake slithering out of the bushes towards him. In its mouth was clutched a scroll, bearing a label that simply had a red scorpion printed on the paper. Sasori frowned once again and he traipsed forward to the snake which had stopped a few feet away. The creature reeled up so that it was taller, offering the red head its message. Sasori took the scroll and the snake instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke. The red head gave a hum, knowing exactly who the scroll was from, and he began to head back to the inn so that he could read it in privacy.

-x-

Sasori sat on the bed cross-legged, the scroll open on his lap. It was printed in an odd code, but he was capable to working it out fairly easily.

'_Dear Sasori_

_I shall meet you in five days time at the town of Gurasu Kaoku. We will meet at a tea shop in the village which goes by the same name._

_See you there.'_

Sasori blinked at it without interest, giving a gentle hum. The scroll was a demand; not a request. "Well, it will take me two days of straight walking to reach there…Three if I go inside of Hiruko…" The red head looked over thoughtfully at his puppet. He stood up from his bed and traipsed over to his favourite creation - other than his own body - kneeling down in front of Hiruko. Sasori put a hand out and gently ran his fingers, almost tenderly, over the puppet's facial disfigurations. He couldn't feel the marionette as he had once been able to, but his chakra allowed the red head to sense the fact that his hand was currently in contact with Hiruko. "Three days it is. I'll still have two days until Orochimaru gets there anyway."

-x-

Sasori sat within the Gurasu Kaoku café, waiting for Orochimaru to turn up. He could see why the place had such a name, since the entire building appeared to be made of glass. Gurasu Kaoku meant 'Glass House', didn't it? Sasori gave a hum and continued to wait for Orochimaru. A waiter came over to the table, and the red head told the man that he was still waiting for someone. Sasori didn't order any food though, since he didn't need to eat anyway. The waiter nodded and left the red head alone once again, but not for long. "Hello, Sasori~"

The red head looked up to see none other than Orochimaru sitting down across from him. Sasori slowly blinked at the man cautiously, "Don't use my real name in public. Call me Yoshiko."

"Oh Sasori," the man smirked at the red head, "an Akatsuki member doesn't care if others find out his identity. Mortals should be scared of our names, not we scared of them knowing. Akatsuki are capable of taking down _anyone_. That is precisely why we are in this shop."

"So people can see us?" Orochimaru gave a nod, continuing to smirk. "So I'm now a member of Akatsuki?"

The snake gave a chuckle, smirking even wider. "Now now, there is no need to rush, Sasori~ You aren't a member just yet." Sasori frowned at him in annoyance. "You have to do something that makes you worthy of being a member in the first place, and I'm not talking about simply turning Shinobi into puppets."

"Something worthy?" The red head raised an eyebrow at Orochimaru. "Did you have to do something like that to join?"

"No, but those are the requirements I have set if you want to become my partner." The snake smirked widely at him, and then licked his lips with his inhuman tongue. At that point, the waiter came back over to the table and asked them if they wanted anything. "Green Tea…" The snake looked at the red head, questioningly. Sasori shook his head, denying the want of anything. "That's it." The waiter nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, the walls of it being made of glass as well.

"If you didn't do anything, then why should I have to?" It irked Sasori off a bit.

Orochimaru gave a chuckle, and smirked at him even wider. "I was older than you when I became an Akatsuki Member. We won't accept someone so young unless we have proof that they are just as powerful as the elder members. But don't worry, Sasori," he gave another chuckle, "a monster like you should be easily capable of doing something that will prove you are really a killing machine."

The red head slowly blinked at the snake, sitting back in his chair. "He who lives in a Glass House…" he motioned to the glass walls of the café, "should not throw stones."

Orochimaru's smirk fell and he simply looked at Sasori for a few seconds, before he smirked again. "You must have thought long and hard to come up with that one, Sasori~"

The red head's eyes narrowed lightly in distaste, "You kept me waiting for a long time, what else was a supposed to do?"

"I'm not throwing stones; I accept the fact that I'm just as much a monster as you are." He gave a chuckle and the waiter brought the snake's green tea. Orochimaru took a sip and grinned at the red head. "Get it?"

Sasori's eyes narrowed subtly and he gave a nod. "So then, how long _do_ I have to prove myself?"

"Right to business I see…Very well." He took another sip of his green tea. "I will contact you when the war is over and tell you how long you have until-" The snake was cut off when a baby began to cry nearby. Both Shinobi looked over to where the noise originated from. A brunette woman was already trying to calm down the young baby in her arms. Sasori sneered at the annoyance; he hated children, especially snivelling little brats. Underneath the racket, Sasori heard a quiet clanging noise.

He blinked and looked to his arm to see that his sleeve was drawn slightly past his wrist, revealing the single bracelet that he wore. The Scorpion. Sasori blinked at it for a few seconds of thought, sensing that the thing symbolised some deep meaning which he was unaware of. The red head sneered further and pulled his sleeve back down, shooting a glare at the woman who had the baby. Eventually she managed to calm down her child, and Sasori looked back to Orochimaru.

"As I was saying, I will contact you after this war is over and then I'll allocate a time period for you. By the end of that time limit you have to have done something worthy of being an Akatsuki member, or…" Orochimaru gave a shrug, "I'll have to kill you. Got that?" Sasori blinked slowly, and then gave an agreeing nod. "Very well; here." Orochimaru pulled out a scroll, handing it to the red head. "A small present for you; it contains the uniform of the Akatsuki, minus this…" The snake held up a ring. It was silver, with the kanji 'Jewel' printed on a purple surface. "Once you become an official Akatsuki member, you will gain the reverence to wear this ring."

Sasori gave a nod, putting the scroll he had been given into the pouch he wore at his waist. "Very well…But what is Akatsuki going to gain through World Domination?"

Orochimaru finished off his green tea and gave a thoughtful hum. "We're trying to gain World Peace, but I can't tell you _how_ we will gain it until you actually become one of us."

Sasori gave a nod and looked through the glass roof of the building. A flock of pure white doves were flying towards what was most likely the North West. "Very well."

The red head continued to watch as the birds flew ever further. Sasori noticed that out of no where, a giant crimson coloured eagle swooped at the flock. They all scattered in the confusion, and the predator managed to grasp a victim in its massive daggered claws. With prey attained, the eagle flew off, leaving the mass of bedazzled white birds in a flurry of panic.

-x-

Eighteen Years Old

Sasori was in the River Country, walking calmly along the crowded streets. There was a festival on to celebrate the ending of the Third Shinobi World War - which had officially concluded three days ago. The red head had decided to attend it to test out a new Jutsu he had created, seeing how it worked firstly on civilians.

It was a variation of the henge technique that took an excessive amount of chakra to perform, and was difficult to keep up. Sasori had been practising it in solitude, and he needed to test whether he could keep it up with the distractions all around. Sure enough, he was able to keep the form without reverting back. Instead of a puppet, an eighteen year old looking Sasori walked down the crowded streets, his shirt partly open to reveal that he was a human.

He had thought of making a Jutsu which made him practically a human as it was capable of being a practical Jutsu. Sasori still did not require food in this form, or water, as his stomach was miniscule. He could produce body heat, and all of his organs were capable of functioning. Sasori breathed in the air and ran a hand through his hair. He had regained his ability of touch, though his smelling and tasting capabilities were very weak. Sasori didn't really mind though; there were usually flaws with every technique. Despite the fact that he was now temporarily human, he was still Eternal, and any wounds which he gained would not be fatal – though not including his heart area, as that was also lethal even when in puppet form.

So Sasori walked down the festive street, looking around – bored - at the colourful lanterns and the laughing citizens. He was expecting a message from Orochimaru to arrive any day now. During the two past years, Sasori had travelled around the continent, visiting the main countries - excluding Sunagakure and Kirigakure. He had created Sleeper Agents for himself in each of the Hidden Villages. Sasori still didn't know what exactly he could do in order to prove that he was worthy. The red head stopped when he suddenly heard a voice call out to him…But it wasn't in reality. Sasori frowned at the voice which seemed to be in his head.

It continued to call out to him, and the red head looked around, as if sensing where the voice was trying to focus his attention. There was a dark side-ally between two stalls, and the red head turned, traipsing into the dim area. The voice grew louder, and then abruptly stopped. Sasori looked around and then he noticed where it had been coming from.

A medium sized snake sat on a window sill, a scroll bearing a blood red scorpion clutched in its mouth. It stared smartly at the red head with its small, cunning eyes and Sasori took the offered scroll. The creature flicked its tongue and then disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

-x-

Sasori dispelled the henge as soon as he entered his room, regaining his puppet body and his sixteen year old appearance. He didn't age in this body, which was the entire point of it. After turning on the light, the red head walked over to the neatly made bed and sat cross-legged on top of it, breaking the seal on the scroll. Sasori opened it up and began to decipher what the scroll read.

'_Dear Sasori_

_You have exactly two years as of the receiving of this scroll in order to prove yourself as being worthy as a member of the Akatsuki. After that time period, meet me outside of Konoha._

_Or else.'_

Sasori slowly blinked at the scroll before he noticed a loose piece of paper had been inserted inside of it. The red head picked it up and frowned in concern. It was a page which was definitely ripped out of a Bingo Book. Now with the war over, Sunagakure was quick to make the fact that Sasori was no longer a part of the village obvious. A picture of himself as a Jonin took up half of the page, and the title read 'Sasori of the Red Sand'. It possessed information concerning him and his prowess as being a master of puppets.

Now if only he could see the reaction on that Iruka kid's face when he finally saw the picture of Sasori of the Red Sand and then realised that he had actually had the audacity to say that the red head 'knew nothing'. Sasori could just imagine the terrified expression and the flush of utter horror that would engulf the brat's face once he realised that he had done something so foolish, and yet he had been spared the red head's wrath with just a warning.

He would then know that the red head's wise words had been true.

Sasori gave a sigh and lay down on his bed, looking up at the low ceiling. He would be travelling around in Hiruko a lot more often from now on.

-x-

Twenty Years Old

The hulking mass moved across the desert sand in an odd lurching fashion, headed towards the village of Sunagakure. Sasori sat safe and secure inside of Hiruko, going over the plan in his head. The red head wore his Akatsuki uniform, but his puppet wore the simple black cloak as always. Sasori gave a thoughtful hum and changed his course slightly, deciding to visit his old Den to see if Karura might have possibly been there. He was planning on visiting her, simply to uphold the stupid promise he had made with her…

'Never make a promise that you didn't intend to keep.'

-x-

Sasori reached the Den and looked around the entrance through Hiruko's eyes. The carvings which he and Karura had put into the wall when they had been only five were barely visible after fifteen years of being weather worn. Sasori looked at the lifeless bird which had never flown and the tiny baby that had never been born, not caring much for the pictures. They were simply proof of how naïve he and his friend had once been.

The red head entered the cave entrance, and once he reached his still standing genjutsu wall, Sasori got out of Hiruko. He sealed the puppet inside of a scroll and braced himself for what awaited inside. Without further to do, he entered his old Den.

He had imagined the scene in his head many times. A twenty year old Karura would be sitting against the opposite wall, with a twelve year old Pakura dozing quietly in the girl's lap. The lights would easily illuminate the peaceful scene and an unchanged Asuko would be situated on the bench, happily barking at the long awaited return of her master.

That was not the scene that reality revealed, however.

The Den was completely pitch black, and Sasori had to summon his Orb of Light, the ball illuminating the dank darkness. The red head looked around the place which he had once called his True Home.

It was completely empty of any human life, and it appeared to have been so for a long time. Sasori heard a small whimper, and he looked over to the unattended table. Sitting on it was a rather larger version of Asuko. The plant was actually cowering in fear, similar to what she had been doing when Orochimaru had visited the Den five years prior. Sasori blinked in confusion and walked over to the terrified plant. Asuko's leaves were covering the bulb of her head, as if she were trying to hide. The red head stopped once he reached the table, giving a calming shushing coo.

"It's alright, Asuko, it's just me." Oddly the plant seemed to recognise his voice, for the leaves slowly drew apart. Asuko poked her head out cautiously, and then gave a happy bark, drawing her leaves away completely. Sasori gently petted the plants bulb, which had grown three times the size of his hand. Asuko nuzzled his palm affectionately; seeming glad to see her master once again after five years of being alone in the Den. Sasori continued to pet the Venus flytrap, Asuko having been one of the few things that he had actually missed in the Land of Wind. The loyal pet purred in content and continued to nuzzle the palm of her master's hand.

Sasori soon pulled away and walked over to the light-switch, flicking it on. He was surprised to find that at least half of the electric lights still worked. They lit up the Den with a filthy glow, and Sasori dismissed his Orb of Light. The red head began to perambulate about his old home, looking around. The cell was empty, but Pakura's old doll still sat, untouched for what seemed like a long time. Sasori entered the cage and picked it up. The doll's head lolled somewhat and the red head gave a hum to himself, dropping it carelessly back onto the floor before traipsing out of the cell, moving back over to the table where Asuko sat, and he began checking the compartments he had made into the walls long ago.

The clothing which he had taken from his victims was still neatly folded and just as perfect as when the red head had first stripped it from the mortals each had originally belonged to. Sasori compared the clothes to his new Akatsuki robe, preferring the latter. He went to another hole in the wall, looking through the genjutsu to see his hidden stash of concoctions. Sasori picked up the corked vials of poison, smirking to himself. They were un-aged and still useful. The red head examined the paralysing poison critically, knowing that he would definitely need it. He continued to gaze through the other gaps, simply finding rusting tools, empty bowls, and a rack filled with his strong pain killer mix that he had once given to Pakura. Sasori took one of the vials from the wooden rack, examining the clear liquid within it, giving a slight hum before placing it back with the others. Almost everything seemed to be perfectly intact, despite the five years without any human intervention.

The red head walked over to the still standing chair and sat down upon it. Fortunately, the aging piece of furniture was capable to holding him without breaking apart. Sasori gave a sigh and once again went back to patting Asuko, the plant giving more purring sounds of affection. "Tonight…I'm going to kidnap the Third Kazekage…" Sasori let a cruel smirk curve his perfect lips. "It's just like you said, Jishaku. You've reached the very top, and now the only fate left for you to achieve…" The red head gave a chuckle of irony. "Is to come tumbling back down…And after all…Those who reach the peak are fated to fall the _furthest _and to crash the _hardest_."


	23. Return to the Sand

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-Three

Return to the Sand

Sasori was going through the entrance of Sunagakure. He had entered the village so many times in the past; yet no previous time had been so disturbing.

The red head was reasonably paranoid that someone would recognise Hiruko, or they would know that the wanted missing-nin known as Sasori of the Red Sand lurked inside of the carapace. But, sure enough, the puppet did not draw any attention. The red head easily entered the village due to the war having been over for two years. Sasori immediately headed towards the residence of his old friend. He was aware that the small trip compromised his mission greatly, but Sasori wanted to see his best friend just once more in life to fulfil the stupid promise he had made with her.

So the red head made the puppet go to the house which Karura had lived in with her mother and twin brother. Sasori wasn't sure whether or not the girl would have moved during the past five years. Was she married? Did she have any children? The red head shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind as he reached the door which he had visited often in his past. He made Hiruko rap on the door with the puppet's knuckles, and then he waited impatiently for someone to answer.

After a minute, the door finally opened. Homely light fell onto the red head, such a contrast to the dark moonless night, that Sasori was momentarily blinded. He looked at the kindly looming figure, at first believing that it was Karura.

But his eyesight adjusted and then he realised the fact that it was not his best friend, but her twin brother - Yashamaru. The blond male was tall, and still resembled his twin sister strongly. He wore a blue gown and a white apron which bore a Sunagakure symbol on the material. Oddly enough, in his arms was clutched a bundle of unexplainable rags. Yashamaru looked at Hiruko for a few soundless seconds, before he quietly stepped aside, signalling for Sasori to enter.

He knew for a fact that Yashamaru could be trusted, simply because the blond loved his sister more than anything else in the world. Anything that Karura wouldn't want revealed was something which Yashamaru would never tell. Sasori made the puppet go inside and he heard the door quietly close behind him. "Karura said that you would come one day…"

The red head opened up Hiruko's hatch and he cautiously stepped out of the puppet. He looked at Yashamaru, who hid well the fact that he was taken aback by Sasori's minimum aging after five years. "Where is she?" The red head began to look at the picture frames which graced both the walls and a single table. There was a picture of a grinning Karura. Beside her were two young children, looking to be about the ages of four and two.

There were a few similar images, and Sasori noticed a photo of Karura standing next to Takeo. She appeared to only be sixteen, and yet she was graced in a wedding dress.

So she had been married to Takeo…

His eyes caught onto a photo which stood out amongst the rest. It was a close up of Karura sitting alone, smiling too carefully with her usual scarf wrapped about her neck. Sasori picked it up to get a closer look at his best friend's dark teal eyes, noticing what was wrong with them.

The enthusiastic shine which the girl had borne ever since Sasori had first met her - and even when he had been leaving - was completely gone. There was no longer any bravery, only simple sadness. Karura's eyes were practically…Dead. Sasori frowned and placed the frame down on the table once more, looking over at Yashamaru. "Where is Karura?"

The blond man carefully blinked at the red head, hiding his misery fairly well. "My sister is dead."

Sasori felt sudden lament run through his nucleus; the girl that he had known for over ten years, who had been his best friend for all that time…Was no more?

The red head chose to not facially reveal his anguish, a benefit of being a puppet. Had he still been a human, he would have already started to grieve…Or perhaps not. But since he was no longer a mortal, he calmly blinked at Yashamaru. "How?"

The blond walked forward to the red head and quite carelessly shoved the bundle of rags into Sasori's arms. "This is how." The red head blinked at the blond and then looked down at the bundle he now held. A small inquisitive face looked up at him and Sasori realised for the first time that a baby was wrapped inside the rags. Its eyes were a pure light blue, and a small tuft of red hair was evident on its head. "She died giving birth to this child."

Sasori looked down at the creature, habitually blinking at it. "That isn't the child's fault…" He gave a frown, trying to view the situation from a down to earth perspective. "Why does it have red hair?"

"It has a demon sealed inside of it." Now _that _got Sasori's attention. He looked questionably up at Yashamaru, raising an eyebrow at him. "Takeo made Chiyo seal the Shukaku inside of Gaara here…Before he was even born…" Sasori stared silently at the blond for a few seconds, and then he looked back down at the monster that he carried in his arms…That Karura had once carried inside of her. "Do you want to kill it?" Sasori was still for a few seconds, before he shook his head in denial.

The thing he held was a monster created by Sunagakure; it was the same as Sasori.

"It doesn't matter anyway; it can't be killed." Yashamaru took a knife from a pocket of his apron, demonstrating to Sasori. He brought the blade down with killing intent, but when the knife was within ten centimetres of the baby, a wall of sand stopped the blade easily. Sasori watched in fascination. "The sand protects it."

"What's his name again?" Yashamaru once again told him, and Sasori gave a nod. "Gaara…Why would Takeo seal the Shukaku into his very own son?"

"Because the Third Kazekage assured him that when he was through with being the Kage, he would let Takeo become the Fourth Kazekage." Sasori gave a slow nod. So now he had even more of a reason to kill the Third. "Karura died from premature birth, but she died vowing to protect Gaara." Yashamaru looked at the red head rather softly. "My sister loved you more than you could ever realise, and you left her behind just so you could see the rotting world out there."

Sasori blinked slowly and then looked down at the baby he still had held in his arms. It smiled up at him, as if it knew that they were both exactly the same.

"There isn't a rotting world out there; I'm glad that I shed myself of this useless husk of a village. Unlike you and everyone else in this forsaken Sunagakure, I am no longer blind to the inhumanity that occurs here. Karura should have come with me. It was not my fault, it was-"

"Uncle Yashamaru?" The red head was cut off by a small voice, and he looked behind himself to where two small children stood, inquisitively staring up at Sasori and at the empty husk of Hiruko. The red head recognised them as the two children in the photograph with Karura, and he guessed that they were the rest of her offspring.

One was a little blonde girl of roughly four who had her hair in two short messy piggy tails. The other was a boy of probably two or three who had short brown hair. The girl looked like Karura, and the boy looked surprisingly like Takeo…

The blond man walked over to the duo, kneeling down to their height. "Temari, Kankuro…What are you doing out of bed?" The children told their uncle that they had had a nightmare.

He gave a sigh and straightened up, turning back to Sasori. Yashamaru took Gaara from the red head with one arm and then walked over to the table which was laden with photos. The blond opened up the draw and pulled out a scroll, walking back over to Sasori with it.

"This was from Karura." He spoke with a hushed voice - considering the presence of the young children. "Before she passed away, she wrote it and told me to give it to you…Should you come to fulfil the promise you made…I wasn't going to put the blame on you, Sasori, as much as I still hate you…" Yashamaru actually gave him a small bitter smile, "There is someone I detest even more…Takeo…I hate him for sealing a demon inside of Gaara while he was still in my sister's womb…"

The red head took the scroll and looked at it with surprise. Wrapped around it was the bracelet which Karura had been given on Mother Island. The silver wolf shone up at Sasori, seemingly untarnished over the years.

He pulled it from around the paper and put the scroll into his hip pouch, intent on reading it when the situation was not as crucial as it was that moment. Sasori slipped the bracelet onto his right wrist and he heard the wolf clang gently against his own scorpion.

The red head faintly recalled hearing the noise on two other occasions when he and Karura had made stupid promises. The first was a promise what had not been fulfilled, but also had not been disregarded. Sasori had not become the Fourth Kazekage, so he had kept the promise of not marrying Karura. The second when they had vowed to meet each other once again.

Sasori had tried to keep it, but it seemed that fate had not been on his side. But the bracelets had managed to keep their own promise of reuniting with one another. "Thank you, Yashamaru." The blond nodded and left the room, taking the two children back to their beds while still carrying Gaara. With the innocent gone, Sasori stepped back into Hiruko, shutting the puppet's hatch behind him.

He was going to kill that fucking Third Kazekage. He was going to avenge Karura's predetermined death.

-x-

Sasori stood outside of the Kazekage's building, having finally decided to initiate his plan. It was past midnight and he had to be swift. Inside of Hiruko, the red head made a half ram seal, "Release." Sasori had just broken the seal which he had made on the girl known as Setsuko several years before. He wasn't sure what was going to happen now that the Jutsu was cast - whether the girl would obey him or not - but it was a chance that needed to be taken. Sasori waited a few irritating minutes, until the doors suddenly opened. Standing alone was the thirteen year old girl. She was wearing the usual clothes of a Sunagakure Chunin, and Setsuko wore her headband around her neck. "Do you remember me?"

The girl bowed low before him in a sign of obedience and respect. "Yes, Master Sasori." The red head decided that it was good thing that his Sleeper Agents could tell who Sasori was, even when he was inside of Hiruko. It saved a lot of confusion. "What is it you wish?"

"I need you to escort me to the Kazekage's office. Are there any secret passages? I would prefer it if no one saw me." Sasori continued to watch the girl through Hiruko's eyes as if they were his own.

Setsuko straightened up and gave a quick nod. "I do know of one way that my father showed me in the case of emergencies. Please follow me, Master." She turned and walked back through the unguarded doorway, Sasori following behind her cautiously.

-x-

The duo was currently walking up a steep, dark tunnel. They had not encountered anyone along the route, so Sasori was quite pleased so far. Eventually it ended and they came out just outside of the Kazekage's office. It was unguarded. "Very good, Setsuko. Leave and do not tell anyone of this." Sasori didn't have the time to insert a new needle into her brain. "If you do…You know exactly the fate which will befall you."

The girl's eyes widened slightly in fear and she bowed once again. "I swear that I shall not tell, Master."

"Very good," Sasori made Hiruko lurch forward to the double doors, "now leave." She nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Good riddance. The red head put Hiruko's hands against the doors and pushed them open to reveal the room beyond.

It was just as Sasori remembered it; the round windows, the single desk, a plant in the corner and - of course - his prey sitting calmly at the desk. The room was lit by an electric light, and easily revealed that Jishaku had not aged in the least. The Kazekage turned in his chair and looked over at Hiruko, giving him a quiet, calculating look. "Sasori of the Red Sand." The red head used his puppet's scorpion tail to close the doors behind him, and Hiruko walked a few steps closer to the desk. Jishaku gave a smirk at the puppet, turning his entire body around to face him. He neatly folded his hands beneath his chin, continuing to watch Sasori. "That's a nice little addition you have there; Chiyo told me all about Hiruko, but I decided not to add that information to the Bingo Book, and I also told her to keep it classified." He gave a small chuckle, "Simply to increase the chance of meeting you once more."

"I've come here to kidnap you, and then to add you to my collection." Hiruko's gruff voice came in handy for making the red head seem more intimidating. "It's time for you to come tumbling down the top of this molehill that you call a hierarchy."

The Third Kazekage gave another chuckle, smirking once more at Sasori. "Using one of my own quotes? Very clever, Sasori of the Red Sand. I wonder if you already know the fate which befell your old friend…" There was a straining silence, and the Third gave a gentle hum. "But of course you do. I let her husband go through with it just because she refused to reveal any information about you. In fact, it was your own granny's idea to have the Shukaku sealed in a host."

He gave a tragic, fake sigh.

"Karura was strong too; a good Shinobi, though nothing compared to _you_." Jishaku smirked at Sasori, "You're like a rose that bloomed from a pot full of dust; you're one of the best Shinobi that this village has seen in a long time. We have been ever so desperate to get you back, so when she refused to tell us your whereabouts for five years, we became utterly fed up with her. I thought that arranging to have her married to Takeo would make her see that getting you back was the best thing for the village's future, but she just didn't understand."

He gave a cruel laugh, smirking wide at Sasori.

"She was _stupid_, that girl. So I decided that if we could not get you back, we would just have to create another monster to replace you. And since she was so persistent about not revealing where you were, she was simply worthless. Why not punish her by making her give birth to the monster which would replace the best friend that had betrayed her? Oh you should have seen the struggle she put up, but Chiyo still managed to seal Shukaku inside of her~"

Sasori was sure that if he had had a sense of taste, his mouth would be completely bitter. Never before had he loathed anyone as much as he hated the Third Kazekage at that point in time. "You talk too much; shut up and fight me." Sasori could still clearly see the lust for blood in the brunette's eyes, more so than when he had last seen the man.

The Third Kazekage raised an eyebrow at Sasori and gave a slight chuckle, placing his hands down on the table surface and standing up threateningly tall. The red head was not the least bit hesitant, however, and he didn't back down. "Very well, I can tell that you want to die so that you can join her in _hell_." The comment just made Sasori snap. He sent Hiruko's tail lashing at the man, who skilfully jumped into the air in order to avoid the attack. The Kazekage made a single dragon hand sign and a wide smirk, "Bringer-of-Illusions Technique."

The office disappeared and was replaced by an odd wonderful world.

They stood in a sunny desert, but it had far too peculiar surroundings. Grass in some areas, trees in others; rivers and mountain ranges. It looked similar to the drawing on the front of Sasori's old sketch book. He looked upwards to see that half of the sky was filled by stars and the moon in a never ending night, while the other half was bright and sunny with perpetual day. Clouds drifted alone about the sky, occasionally letting rain vomit from their entrails. Sasori refused to let himself be awed by the stupid illusionary world.

It wasn't real.

The red head looked quickly to the Kazekage, who was still smirking at Hiruko. Jishaku pulled the Kage hat from his head, revealing his brown hair from below. "Do you like it? I sometimes come here when I am fed up with sitting in that stupid little office of mine." He dropped the cap onto the sand, and then shrugged off his cloak, revealing that he wore suitable fighting clothes below. "Do not worry, I actually don't have any advantages in being here; I just didn't want anyone to interrupt our fight in that tiny little room. It wouldn't be as fun." The clothes of his authority fell limp on the desert sand, and abruptly turned to dust in the imaginary world. "Well, let us begin." He gave a wider smirk and then fell into a fighting stance. "I'm eager to see that little naïve boy who was angry at the entire world for taking his innocence away from him." Jishaku chuckled cruelly, "The one who went insane simply because I would not allow him to advance beyond a Jonin. I know that that little insecure child still exists beneath this puppet and all of that armour; don't be afraid to show him to me."

Sasori made Hiruko glare at the man, making the puppet remove the black cloak and the black bandana that had once belonged to the friend he was avenging. As soon as the material hit the ground it turned to simple ash - just as the Kazekage's clothes had done so before. Sasori made Hiruko spread his limbs into a battle ready stance.

The sad mask on the puppet's back dangerously stared into the odd sky above, facing the heavens without a thought. Its mouth was ajar and without further to do, the scorpion tail once again emerged from its gaping jaws, threateningly looming above the battle field. Within Hiruko, Sasori let his own cruel smirk form as he let his entire consciousness seep into his favourite puppet.

"The child that you once knew died a _long _time ago." The fight between the Third Kazekage and Sasori of the Red Sand finally commenced.


	24. The Third Kazekage

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Third Kazekage

The Third Kazekage made the very first move. He gave a smirk, and then opened the two giant pouches which sat at his sides. A mass of what could possibly be grinded up iron drifted out of them and began to float innocently in the air. He made a quick dog hand sign, "Iron Sand Drizzle." The powder stiffened and suddenly came to life, forming into tiny spherical shapes that came shooting at Sasori. The red head didn't let him self get taken aback by the move, his fingertips instinctively taking control before any mental thought was required.

Hiruko abruptly slammed his tail in the sand and used it as a lever. Doing a forward flip in the air, Sasori withdrew the scorpion tail into the mouth and curled his puppet into a tight ball. He succeeded in dodging the attack and he was now on a collision course with the Kazekage. Jishaku easily dodged and Hiruko crashed – unharmed - into the loose desert sand.

"Is that all you have?" The red head secretly sent Hiruko's scorpion tail seeping into the grains below, but the Kazekage seemed to catch on. The man jumped into the air just as Hiruko's tail resurfaced. He actually had the nerve to press his feet against the blunt side of the scorpion tip and he launch himself even higher into the air. Sasori growled and tried to grab the man with his tail, but he had already commenced another attack, making another dog hand sign, "Iron Sand; Gathering Assault."

The iron powder from before returned to the man and in his hands it formed a giant sword. Sasori snickered inside of Hiruko, knowing that that wouldn't do anything useful against his puppets.

He was quickly proven incorrect.

Iron Sand appeared at Jishaku's back, giving the shape of a pair of wings. They gave the Kazekage the ability of flight and he swiftly flew at Hiruko's tail, preparing his sword. Sasori was perplexed at the idiocy of his prey, deciding to take advantage. The red head sent Hiruko's tail sailing back at the Kazekage. As the two weapons neared one another, Jishaku began to swing the sword using the weight of his own body. Suddenly, the two forces collided.

The spike at the end of Hiruko's tail had dug deep into the blade of the Iron Sand Sword, but it hadn't penetrated all the way through. The Kazekage hung in midair for a few brief seconds before letting go of the sword altogether. He neatly landed on the flat top of Hiruko's tail, and irritatingly began to run along the metal. Sasori watch begrudgingly as the Kazekage made another dog hand sign, knowing that that only brought bad tidings, "Iron Sand; Tsunami." The sword which had been stuck on the tip of Hiruko's tail began to shiver, and then it began to follow its master down the puppet's tail. Sasori watched as the powder swarmed through the joints of his favourite marionette's main weapon, and when the redhead tried to move the tail he was irked off to find that it wouldn't even budge.

"Dammit…" The Kazekage jumped off of the tail, but the Iron Sand continued to descend through Hiruko's weapon, and Sasori realised why. It seeped through the joints, intent to get all the way to Hiruko's body and then ultimately to the red head who was hidden inside. Sasori hid his distaste and opened his eyes, leaving Hiruko's consciousness for a few seconds.

He turned around inside of the puppet to the small door type thing on the very back. The red head opened it to reveal the inside of the giant mask's mouth and the tag which contained the puppet's tail. Sasori quickly ripped the tag from the mask and attached chakra strings to it, forcing the paper seal to fall uselessly to the desert sand outside. Unlike their clothing from before, it remained and did not turn to dust, most likely due to the iron sand that was still in its joints.

Hiruko had just lost his tail, but it was for the best. In its current state, the weapon wouldn't even be much use anyway. Sasori closed the lid quickly and turned back, once again closing his serious brown eyes. The red head took control of the puppet's consciousness, being able to view the world through the sight of Hiruko once more. He quickly moved the puppet away from where the broken tail lay, looking around for the Kazekage. The man seemed to have decided to change battle fields as he now fluttered about the grassy field with the use of his wings, rather than the desert section of the imaginary world.

"Over here, Sasori; don't you hate to keep others waiting?" Sasori snickered and stealthily made Hiruko move far away from the iron powder which was still devouring his puppet's tail, and he swiftly made his way into the grassy glade. The brunette man gave a chuckle, "This is fun, isn't it? Not many people survive my first series of attacks. You know…" Jishaku smirked at him widely and intently. "You can still return to the village if you want to. We can simply say that you were kidnapped during the war." He snickered and looked at Sasori with that stupid look of authority, as if he were _better _than the red head. As if Sasori still wished to gain the mortal's acceptance as he once had. "I'll even let you become an ANBU Black Ops, just like you wanted me to. Isn't that what you've always wanted? My approval."

"As if, old man." The brunette was simply a part of a village that the red head no longer had any ties to. _Sasori was no longer his puppet_. "I don't need you to be proud of me anymore. I've surpassed you and everyone else in this fucking forsaken village, and you're going to become _my _puppet now."

Jishaku's smirk actually faded, and he looked at Hiruko with serious distaste. "Very well; I tried to save you but now I guess I'm forced to use my ultimate technique." Sasori watched as the man made both dog and tiger hand seals. The powder which had crippled Hiruko's tail returned to the Third Kazekage, forming two giant shapes in the sky, "Iron Sand; World Order!" The two objects suddenly collided with one another and the result was terrifying.

A chain of attached spikes began to rain down in what could be called a lethal iron web.

Sasori dodged a few of the spikes, but the attack was too much for even one with his puppetry skills to completely evade. After three successful avoidances, the red head failed to dodge the fourth. A giant spike pierced right through Hiruko's sad shell, cracking the mask in two. Sasori cursed and quickly pulled one of the articles of black cloth which he used to line Hiruko's insides over himself in order to make sure that no stray iron powder made its way into his own joints.

If any got into him self, it would be game over.

Sasori quickly pushed one of the parts of Hiruko's mask off and he jumped out, holding the black cloth over himself to avoid any iron sand. He sensed the magnetic chakra that surged in the spikes all around him and he skilfully made his way out of the thicket. "Running away, Sasori? That's not like you!"

The red head knew exactly when he had a chance of winning or not, and out in the open he currently did not. So Sasori ran towards the line of trees which symbolised another battle area. He didn't hesitate to pass through the row, going into the woods without fear.

Sasori pushed chakra into the soles of his feet and ran up one of the trunks, beginning to jump from branch to branch. He didn't like the tactic of retreat, but he wasn't really running away; he was simply changing the battle field to his own advantage. Sasori was stopped when the branch he had been aiming to land on suddenly crashed to the forest floor. The red head sneered and made an aim for the closest tree trunk.

He managed to land with his feet against it, and his chakra stopped him from falling. Sasori's black blanket fell off though, tumbling slowly to the forest floor which lay far below. The red head jumped from the trunk and onto a high branch, turning to face his pursuing pray. Jishaku halted on a bough of a nearby tree and examined Sasori's revealed figure with surprise. "My my…" His lips curved in the same old stupidly superior smirk, giving the red head an ironic look. "Now_ there_ is the little insecure child that I used to know; more literally than I had originally thought."

The red head gave the brunette a cruel smirk and a chuckle, a familiar maniacal appearance overtaking his usual aloof face. "I told you, didn't I? I told you _all those years ago_ that I was going to _live_ for an _Eternity._ And you _didn't _believe me one _little bit_." Sasori gave another cruel meaningless laugh. "But just you wait, old man, for after I kill you…Then you to will become just like me." The red head pulled a scroll from the sleeve of his Akatsuki Cloak and he opened it up. "Let me give you just a glimpse of what your future will be like." Sasori activated the seal on the scroll and summoned the ten human puppets from inside.

All of the marionettes were his best, and all had once been Shinobi. The summoning included puppets such as Pakura's parents, the Sunagakure Jonin he had used to scare his Suna Sleeper Agents when they were younger, the Kumogakure-Nin that had led the Refugees, the two Kusagakure Shinobi who he had first made into puppets, and four others which he had collected on his travels, including a man from Iwagakure, two girls from Konohagakure, and a male from Amegakure.

All were clothed in identical black cloaks with ruffled neck areas that Sasori had made himself. "These are some of my best Human Puppets so far."

Jishaku looked along the row, and his Iron Sand wings reformed. "Impressive; I'll have fun destroying your stupid art." He smirked at the red head and at his puppets, the iron powder looming behind him. The Third Kazekage looked around the battle area; "Interesting, I should have known that you were not the type to just run from a fight." The trees they stood on were enormous and the ground was far bellow. One slip and it would kill any normal human being - not that either of them were actually 'normal' anyway. A small river ran by on the forest floor, tiny and insignificant. "I can't use my Iron Sand to the best of my abilities in such a confined area…But that doesn't mean that you have any significant advantage." He laughed and smirked wide at the red head. "No matter what you do, I will always be better." Jishaku made the pestering dog hand sign once again, and Sasori prepared himself, "Iron Sand Parade."

The red head watched as the powder began to part into the shapes of 'Animals'. They morphed into a colony of bats, flying all too quietly. They attacked at once. Sasori snarled and began to make his puppets dodge the throng of unreal creatures, but he only succeeded in saving five of his puppets. The two Konoha-Nin, the Iwagakure Shinobi, the Amegakure-Nin and Sora were unable to pull away in time.

Bats swarmed over their once living bodies and Sasori's chakra threads became unresponsive as the powder jammed their joints. The red head cursed and released the strings on them, instead attaching two to each of his five remaining marionettes. "If you give up, then I will go easy on you, Sasori of the Red Sand." Jishaku smirked widely once more and the twenty year old slowly blinked at the mortal.

"You're already going senile, old man." Sasori jumped to another tree branch and pulled his puppets away from the fluttering Iron Sand bats. The red head frowned to him self and began to calculate how the fuck he was going to get passed that bloody magnetic powder…

Sasori's eyes widened and he looked to the Kumogakure puppet he had once named Baka. That was it!

A smirk spread over Sasori's lips and he purposely used his two Kusagakure Shinobi as a distraction. They went flying skilfully straight at the Kazekage, and Sasori dropped a chakra string from each as he began to fish for the object that he had in mind. Jishaku gave a snort and sent his bats attacking the two puppets. They easily swarmed Ichiro and Jirou, making Sasori's puppet strings become unusable. The red head reattached the threads to Baka, but he didn't bring her into action just yet. Unfortunately they had not given him enough time yet, and Sasori was forced to create yet another distraction.

The puppets which had once been Pakura's parents jumped skilfully and they actually managed to dodge the bats effectively longer than the red head had expected. They made it within two metres of the Kazekage before they were abruptly swallowed up by the colony of iron bats, becoming useless just like the others. Now the only one of Sasori's best puppets was the Kumogakure-Nin, but she was the only one that the red head required for his plan to work.

"That's it?" The Kazekage chortled and bared his teeth in a sneer. "Your best puppets and you couldn't even lay a single scratch on me! Now you only have one left. This is the best that Sasori of the Red Sand can come up with? It's utterly _pathetic_!"

The red head smirked as his goal was finally achieved. "If you want to see something truly pathetic, then go look at your own reflection _Jishaku._" Without further to do, Sasori's plan was brought into execution. The Third Kazekage was shocked when Hiruko's tail went flying through the air with the use of Sasori's puppet threads; it wasn't aimed at Jishaku, but at Baka.

The puppet shot through the air and grabbed the metal tail and Sasori made several quick hand signs, activating one of the puppet's Jutsu. Baka and Hiruko's tail became partly swallowed up by the bats, but then a powerful electrical current burst through Baka's body. The electricity spread through Hiruko's metal tail and also through the iron dust. The powder was still for a few seconds before it suddenly flung itself against the tail.

Jishaku's eyes widened and he made a few hand signs, "Iron Sand Gathering Assault." The powder, however, refused to budge from Hiruko's tail, and Sasori dropped all chakra threads. Baka, the metal tail, and the iron sand went plummeting to the ground far below, still remaining stuck together like glue. The Third Kazekage looked at Sasori, stunned. "…How?"

The red head smirked at him and began to unbutton his Akatsuki cloak one clip at a time. "You use magnetism with the Iron Sand, don't you? Well, electricity can change the polarity of the magnetic field. So I used Baka's lightning Jutsu to morph your Iron Sand so that it was negatively charge, and then I also magnetised Hiruko's tail to give it a positive charge. 'Opposites Attract', right?"

Sasori smirked even wider, and shrugged the Akatsuki cloak from his self to reveal that beneath it he was a true work of art. As the article of clothing began to flutter downwards, it suddenly disappeared in a burst of leaves and wind.

"It's quite simple, really. I made Hiruko's tail an extremely powerful magnet, and I continued Baka's Jutsu so that even when you tried to change the polarities yourself, she would simply change them back. That's why you never made me an ANBU Black Ops; because Misaki Sensei's Lightning Style Jutsu is your one weakness. She told you that I wasn't suitable to be an ANBU, and you agreed with her just to keep her on your good side. You were too paranoid of her, old man; but you weren't paranoid enough of me." Jishaku stared, astonished, at Sasori's body. The red head uncoiled his stomach cable and tilted his head slightly to the left at the oblivious man, never stopping his sadistic smirk of success. "No matter what you do, your Iron Sand isn't at your command any more. I _win_…Any last words?"

"…" The Kazekage didn't try to attack Sasori, nor did he bother to try and run away. He was a smart man full of pride, and he knew when he had lost. The male sneered at the red head and spat out his final words. "You really _are_ a _**monster**_…"

Sasori simply gave a shrug along with a sadistic chuckle and - with that established - the red head shot his stomach cable at Jishaku. "I'm a weapon made by Sunagakure." Without any Iron Sand left at his disposal, and after years of being sheltered in a small office, Sasori easily stabbed the man right through the gut. The poison which the red head had covered his stomach cable with while he had been at his Den immediately took effect. The Third Kazekage abruptly became paralysed, staring at Sasori's puppet body with unmoving eyes.

The Illusion World abruptly shattered and split from reality, revealing that they were once again only in the Kazekage's office. All of Sasori's puppets lay about on the floor, as did the Iron Sand which was still clumped to Hiruko's tail. The red head pulled his stomach cord from the Kazekage, making the man fall to the floor. Sasori curled his cable back up inside of his empty stomach area and picked the empty scroll up from the floor, sealing his ten puppets back inside of it.

Without the Iron Sand, they would become fully functional once again. Sasori picked his Akatsuki cloak from the floor where it had appeared and he pulled it back on, buttoning it up as he evaluated the state of Hiruko. His favourite puppet's shell was broken, but other than that it seemed alright. Sasori picked up the scroll which had the puppet's no longer magnetised tail hanging partly out of it and resealed it inside of the paper. He rolled up the scroll and sealed it inside of the seal which was patterned on the inner part of his left Akatsuki sleeve.

The Iron Sand lay useless on the ground, and Sasori gave a hum, attaching chakra strings to the Third Kazekage. The man – who was still alive - was eyeing him fiercely, despite the fact that he couldn't move of his own free will and Sasori made him activate his Kekkei Genkai. The Iron Sand floated into the air and then it drifted into the open pouches at the Kazekage's waist until it had all disappeared inside of the bags. Sasori made the man zip up the pouches and then he attached chakra strings to Hiruko, parting the shell. It would still be alright to carry the Kazekage out of the village hidden inside of the puppet.

Sasori forced Jishaku to traipse over to Hiruko and to climb inside before he shut the two halves of the broken mask. The red head walked over to where his favourite puppet's clothes lay, picking up the cloak and the bandana before once more dressing Hiruko in them to hide the fact that he was a puppet. Sasori meticulously looked around the room and he noticed the Kazekage's outfit lying ownerless on the floor. The red head traipsed carefully over to the clothing and childishly put the hat onto his head, looking at his reflection in one of the round windows. Karura had actually been correct when she had said that he looked pretty good in it. Sasori slowly blinked and picked up the Kage robe, finically folding it. He placed the clothing onto the desk and then took off the large hat, setting it down on top of the robe.

It was all so meaningless now.

Sasori sighed and made a few hand seals, activating a henge Jutsu to disguise his identity before turning back to Hiruko. The puppet was acceptably human looking, and the now white haired man attached chakra strings to him, making them slight enough so that they would go unnoticed. With that achieved, Sasori left the unscathed room with his pride and with his prize, going down the secret hallway which he had entered through.

Escaping the village was just as easy as entering it had been.

Part one of his plan was at last complete. All that he had to do bow was 'fix' the Third Kazekage so that he became a true work of art…And perhaps get some well deserved revenge while he had the man at his _mercy_.


	25. The Akatsuki

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Akatsuki

As soon as the red head had left Sunagakure, he had spread the word that the Third Kazekage was missing. The news had expanded so quickly that it had reached Iwagakure. The village had taken advantage of the situation and had attacked Sunagakure, starting up a war between the two nations. It wasn't another world war as the other countries were staying out of the fighting.

The Kazekage lay on the table which had been moved to the centre of the River Country hotel room. He was tied securely with chains and rope, and the man had been humiliatingly stripped naked. Sasori didn't bother to gag the male; he would never cry out for help anyway. The red head was currently going over his medical equipment, making sure that he possessed all of the necessary tools. "I usually don't bother to draw out my victims suffering…" He picked up a small vial which contained an almost clear liquid, along with a sharp scalpel.

Sasori calmly turned and looked towards his helpless prey, giving a very slight smirk before traipsing towards the male. The red head immodestly climbed up onto the table, straddling the man's waist, placing his tools down on an empty space of the desk.

"…But I'm afraid that I am not so merciful to those who have wronged me~" He picked up the vial so that the unparalysed man could see it, "This is a watered-down version of my usual deadly poison. It won't kill you unless it is swallowed, but…" He pulled off the cork and tilted it, a single drop of the venom falling onto the male's chest. Jishaku winced and clenched his teeth, but made no vocal noises; he had a high pain threshold. "It hurts like a bitch."

Sasori smirked and chuckled sadistically before placing it back down on the table, picking up the scalpel. He brought the blade to the man's torso, meticulously mapping out his art…His smirk widened as inspiration struck him, and he moved the blade down, slicing into the pale skin. Sasori began to cut a trail through the flesh, blood welling up, but the Kazekage did not cry out at the sharp pain; it was nothing to him.

After a minute, Sasori had finished carving out the symbol; it was his puppeteer logo of a scorpion within a diamond. Once he finished, he heard Jishaku give a very slight sigh of relief, and the red head's sadistic smirk widened. The blood lust rose within his eyes and he chuckled very slightly, "This isn't over yet~ Things are just beginning~" Sasori began to carve out another scorpion logo, and then another, and then another, and then another, and then another…

-x-

He had covered the man's body with the markings; his chest, his arms, his legs, every bit of skin except for his face, his hands, and the part over his heart. Blood was smeared everywhere, but it wasn't enough to kill him. Sasori chuckled lightly and picked up the vial, emptying the contents onto the man's chest and into the open wounds. The Kazekage gave a half-groan-half-cry; his high pain threshold was nothing compared to the agony he was enduring.

Sasori's eyes narrowed in sickening delight, moving off of the male and back to his assortment of tools. He placed the empty vial down, listening in content to the muffled groans of the man behind him.

The red head cruelly smirked as he picked up the cleaving knife and four hair-ties, moving back over to the panting man. He didn't need to be over the male anymore, so he remained standing once he reached the table. "I usually cut my future puppets open at this point; pull out their entrails…But I think I'm going to change my order of procedures…Just for this special case~ You should feel honoured." Sasori held up the cleaver and brought it down swiftly, hacking the man's arm off at the shoulder.

The Kazekage hissed, but then gave a groan of agony once Sasori buried his hands into the wound, taking a tight hold of the broken artery. He tied one of the hair-ties around the artery, cutting off the flow of blood; Sasori didn't want to end this just yet. He moved over to the male's leg, hacking that off at the joint as well.

-x-

Sasori had finished cutting off the limbs of the man, and he was now kneeling over the male once again. Jishaku wasn't crying, but he was breathing too roughly, trying to ease his agony and his face was scrunched up in anguish. "You have quite the pain threshold…But I guess that is to be expected from a Kazekage…Your suffering will be over soon, old man. I could leave you in the state you are now; I could draw out your suffering, keeping you barely alive…But I don't have nearly enough patience to bother doing so; I've already wasted enough time as it is. So let's end your torment now."

Sasori picked the scalpel up again, moving it to the man's throat, "…_Treason_…" He managed to give the red head a weak, suffering smirk; even in his current state he still acted as if he were superior to Sasori, "…_You're…A…__**Traitor**_…" The red head narrowed his eyes in disgust; how dare the man act as if he were still better than Sasori! The red head lost his burning temper and with one swift motion he slit the man's throat, instantly killing the arrogant mortal.

Fucking _bastard_!

-x-

Sasori lay safe on the bed of his inn room within the River Country, looking at the ceiling with boredom. Sasori gave a small sigh and sat up.

Revenge was no where near as fulfilling as he had hoped it to be. But at least he had his pride and his prize.

The red head gave a smirk and picked up one of the two scrolls from the table, opening it up. There was a puff of smoke and his new favourite puppet now stood in the middle of the room. Sasori stood up and began to examine the Third Kazekage. He had not given Jishaku the curtesy of looking human; his hands were clearly those of a puppet, and his jaw had been changed. Sasori had put the Iron Sand inside of the marionette so that it would be easy to summon, and he had graced the puppet with the usual hand-made black robe with a ruffled neck area. It was the most valuable addiction to his collection since he had turned himself into a puppet.

If the Third Kazekage marionette didn't prove his worth of being in Akatsuki then nothing would. Sasori resealed the puppet into the scroll and then sat down on the bed, putting the roll of paper back onto the table. The red head was still for a few seconds before he reached over further and picked up the other scroll which he had yet to read. Sasori opened it up and easily noticed Karura's familiar handwriting scrawled across the page.

'_Dear Sasori;_

_If you have received this message, then that means that you tried to keep your promise, and I'm sorry for not fulfilling my side of it. Circumstances are bitter beings. I wish that you had stayed in Sunagakure, Sasori, but I do hope that you found what you were searching for beyond the walls. I have made many mistakes in my life, but staying in Sunagakure – even though it may lead to my death - is not something I regret._

_I did not reveal one word about you to them, and so when I was sixteen they married me to Takeo. I was not a supporter of this…But I have grown to love him, just as he loves me. Soon I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who I have called Temari. And then I soon gave birth to a son who I named Kankuro. I've told Yashamaru to teach him how to use the puppets that you gave to me as – unfortunately - Chiyo refused to teach him, in fear that he would turn out like you had - I personally hope that Kankuro does turn out like you. But Kankuro is smart, and I'm sure he won't need a teacher, being what a little autodidact that he is, even at his young age. Yashamaru learnt a bit about how to create Chakra Threads from watching you and I'm sure it will be a good starting point for Kankuro. I've also given Temari my fan for when she is older._

_I then fell pregnant with a third child...Takeo and the Third Kazekage both made Chiyo seal a demon inside of my unborn child against my will. But I don't care for my own safety; even if this child ends up being the death of me, I only fear for his or her life. It must be a lonely life for a child to undergo, and I can't help but feel partly responsible…I don't know whether or not I will survive this pregnancy, so I am leaving this note and my bracelet just in case. I hope that one day they will reunite.' _There was a change in the hand writing, as if she had decided to add the next part at a later date. _'I'll say hello to them all for you, though. I'll say hello to my unborn brother and my dead father. I'll tell Daichi how sorry you are. I'll tell your parents that they'd be so proud of you. And when I finally see you…Oh yeah, I forgot; you're going to live forever._

_Please, if it ever comes to it…Protect my children and save them from harm. Even if this new child ends up being my killer, do not blame him or her, but please protect them._

_I loved you, Sasori; if only we could have somehow been._

_Be brave, as I always tried to be._

_-Karura.'_

Sasori read it over a second time before rolling the scroll back up and placing it to the side. He pulled his sleeve back to reveal the two bracelets which graced his wrist. Now he had been in possession of all three bangles at least once. Sasori looked at the Scorpion and the Wolf which adorned the unique bracelets, giving a gentle hum in thought. All he needed was the Dove he had originally owned and then they would be together once again.

He now possessed the Wolf; Loyalty, success and perseverance…Sasori now adopted the qualities as his own; the red head would never betray the Akatsuki.

-x-

Sasori turned up at the designated meeting location right on time - but the snake was a different story. The red head waited inside of Hiruko, overly annoyed; he hated to be kept waiting. Sasori had not been able to repair the damage to the puppet's sad mask, so he had carved a brand new mask that was twice as strong. The new shell was of a grinning face, as opposed to the sad broken one. Sasori believed that it suited his new content lifestyle particularly well. He no longer had the need to be sad, as he had no more worldly attachments that awaited death. Sasori had also sewn his puppet an Akatsuki cloak, copying the design of the one which he bore.

He had made up his mind; Sasori Yoshiko would no longer be Sasori of the Red Sand.

He would make that into Hiruko's identity, having put his Sunagakure headband around the puppet's neck. A slash was cut right through the gourd symbol which the metal slab bore. Only those who were lucky - or unlucky - would ever meet the real mastermind who loomed low inside of the puppet.

Sasori Yoshiko no longer existed.

The meeting place was in view of Konohagakure, and the red head was not in the mood to get into a fight. Sasori gave an annoyed sigh, but his eyes widened when he suddenly heard a loud boom in the background. The red head frowned and was about to look at where the noise had sounded from, when a voice stopped him. "Now that is a rare sight." Sasori looked to his right and saw that none other than Orochimaru stood leaning against a tree. His face was set in the direction of the village, and he was watching the looming sight of Konohagakure with interest.

Sasori made Hiruko frown and he turned to follow the snake's gaze. He was taken aback by what he saw. A giant red creature stood inside of the village walls.

It was enormous compared to the rest of the surroundings, and the creature looked utterly enraged. Sasori watched as what appeared to be a giant fox - or a similar creature - began to terrorize Konohagakure. The red head stared and tried to count the various whipping tails which were flying about wildly in the air above the village. He counted roughly nine, even though the tails were moving so ferociously fast. Sasori continued to watch it for a few seconds before turning back to Orochimaru. "Did you have something to do with this?"

The snake didn't take his eyes from the monster, but a smirk formed on his lips. "I wish…Such power…" He gave a chuckle and widened his smirk. "I left this village last year, and I have not been back since." Orochimaru finally looked at the hunching mass of Hiruko, letting his smirk fall. "So what have you managed to achieve in the past four years?"

"I killed the Third Kazekage and added him to my puppet collection." There was an odd silence suddenly in the air, despite the sounds of destruction and screaming which filled the background. Both Akatsuki members were still for a while, before Orochimaru gave a bemused sound.

"That is indeed impressive, Sasori. Very well; I shall accept you as my partner in the Akatsuki." He crouched down and pulled the end of Hiruko's bandana up. Sasori wearily watched as Orochimaru slipped something inside of the puppets mouth and then straightened up. "Put that on your left thumb."

Sasori came back to his own consciousness and put his hand into the gap which was Hiruko's empty mouth, picking up the object. The red head pulled it close and frowned at it. He couldn't see the ring in the darkness, but he already knew that it read 'Jewel'. Sasori did as he had been instructed and slipped it onto his left thumb. He gave a sharp gasp as an icy feeling constricted his heart capsule for a few good seconds.

It was almost like he fell unconscious, because he was no longer in the Fire Country. He sat in the middle of a cave inside of Hiruko, but he was no longer himself. Sasori was still aware of his true body which was now far away, but he didn't try to reach it. The red head looked around using Hiruko's eyes and saw others standing not too far off, including Orochimaru. They were unsolid figures that were colourfully see-through except for their eyes and the white outlines of the clouds which their outfits bore. "Introducing Sasori of the Red Sand; our newest member of the Akatsuki."

"Hey Sasori," it was an unfamiliar voice that spoke up, and the red head looked over at the image which seemed to have talked. "My name is Kisame; welcome to the Akatsuki." The male voice gave a chuckle, and his small eyes were staring intently at Hiruko. "Just don't get on my bad side, or you won't last long~"

The introductions went around one by one in a similar structure, though usually minus the threat. The other unknown figures revealed their identities as Kakuzu, Pein (though he demanded to be called leader), Zetsu, Fumaru, Konan, and Keisu. "You are now an official Akatsuki member. Wear the title with pride, and if you ever reveal our secrets, expect a painful end." Sasori simply nodded Hiruko's head in agreement. "Very well; I'll have Zetsu bring you your first mission in a few days. Is that understood?"

Both Orochimaru and Sasori gave agreements on this and then the red head was back inside of his own real body. The red head blinked his brown eyes out of habit and then once again took over Hiruko. The snake was looking back towards the village which was still under attack by the giant fox. "Well then…Let us be off." Sasori nodded Hiruko's head and Orochimaru turned away from Konohagakure. He looked at the puppet for a few seconds before he turned and began to traipse along the path which led away from the doomed village.

Sasori looked back one last time at the village and the enormous monstrous killing machine which was currently reducing Konohagakure to rubble, before he began to walk alongside the snake without any real thought about the giant demon or of helping the insignificant village.

-x-

Orochimaru and Sasori had been staying in a Vegetable Country hotel when the messenger from the Akatsuki arrived. He inhumanely seeped up through the floorboards and opened up a Venus-flytrap-like accessory which surrounded his head. The odd growth made the red head almost compare him to his old pet plant, Asuko. The 'man' was half black and half white, while the rest of his body was covered by an Akatsuki cloak. So this was the member who went by the name of Zetsu? Just being around him was intimidating for the new red head. That was the one thing which he found unsettling about the organisation so far.

He was the newest member, so did that automatically make him the weakest of the organisation?

It irked the red head off because he was used to always being looked up to and marvelled at as if he were situated upon a golden pedestal. But he would not get the same treatment in the Akatsuki, as they were all of the same power as he was, probably even more so. Sasori decided that he would just get over the stupid pestering feeling; he was not _that _vain, after all. He certainly did _not _suffer from an inferiority complex…But Sasori _did_ have goals that he wanted to achieve. Just as he had once told the Third Kazekage…He was one day going to reach the top, and when he did, Sasori was going to stay there for all eternity.

Zetsu looked about the room, the two glowing yellow orbs which were most definitely his eyes glancing – without hesitation - from Orochimaru, who had been looking out of the window, and then to Sasori, who was currently situated inside of the dark depths of Hiruko's body, thinking. The red head was leaving the sanctuary of his puppet less and less as time slipped by, and now it was a surprising feat if he were to leave the safe shelter once a week. He even converted his puppets using Hiruko's hands rather than his own.

"So you must be Sasori?" The plant man snickered at the puppet, obviously being fooled into believing that Hiruko was the real missing-nin. The red head did not feel like correcting the man. The Akatsuki would probably take him more seriously if he looked as intimidating as Hiruko, so he'd let them believe what they wished to. "**Shut up, this is no time for introductions; we already have gone through that all before. Besides,**" the Akatsuki member talked to his other personality with absurd normalcy,** "we don't even know if this one will last long enough to be worth conversing with.**" Sasori had realised during the meeting of a few weeks ago that Zetsu possessed two different personalities, and that it was completely ordinary for the plant-man to talk to him self. "Just look at this guy! Even I'm freaked out by him, and that is saying something compared to the shit that we've seen." Sasori didn't know whether to feel insulted or complemented, "He's going to be in the Akatsuki for a long time!"

Sasori gave a harsh, annoyed sigh. "Please stop with all the debating." The twenty year old subtly narrowed Hiruko's facial features. "You have a mission for us, do you not? Do not keep me waiting." He could act just as superior as the stupid plant freak.

Orochimaru looked away from the window and the yellow flowers which sat outside of the inn, gazing over at Zetsu. "I'd do what he says," the snake gave a cunning smirk; "he is particularly impatient, so it really is best to not keep him so flustered. What is the mission from Leader?"

The Akatsuki were a mercenary group of S-Classed missing-nin from all around the world who were hired by villages for help. It was all a part of the plan on how to achieve world domination, and at the same time, world peace.

"**Yes, the mission. Leader has given you a B rank mission for starters. It is simple enough, and I am sure you'll be perfectly capable of completing it. You are to travel to the Land of Apples and assassinate the Daimyo, Mamoru. Understood?**" Before Sasori or Orochimaru could talk, Zetsu's other personality already cut in. "Of course they understand! We Akatsuki are missing-nin, not children."

The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes, giving another harsh sigh. "That is understood. Thank you, Zetsu." The plant-man was still for a few seconds before he looked over at Orochimaru. He nodded in content, and Zetsu glanced once more over to Sasori.

"**Okay then; that is good. We shall return in a month's time. Be sure that your goal is achieved within that time period, or there will be consequences. Goodbye.**" Before he disappeared back into the ground, his less-serious half spoke out. "But you won't disappoint, so I'll see you both in a month when your mission is complete. See ya!" The other side gave a snicker and then the plant-man was no more, having disappeared back into the floor.

"Well," Orochimaru gave a thoughtful hum and returned to gazing at the field of yellow flowers which waved from behind the glass window, "you certainly made an odd first impression on Zetsu. Even his white side didn't trust me one bit when I first joined." He smirked and then looked over at the closed flower bud which was Hiruko, concealing inside of its grotesque body a beautiful red rose. "That puppet of yours certainly demands respect from others."

Sasori looked over at the snake, relaxing Hiruko's face into a content countenance. "My puppet isn't the only one who demands respect from others; I've been demanding it my self since I was a child in that forsaken hellhole known as Sunagakure."

Orochimaru gave a hum, before he once again returned to his window gazing. "Apple Country is a week's travel via boat, and since the deadline is in a month, it would be best if we were to start moving tomorrow. We'll spend the night here and be gone before dawn passes."

Sasori nodded Hiruko's head, "Very well." The conversation ended there and the red head returned to his usual thoughts.

-x-

Ever since he had become Orochimaru's partner, Sasori had grown so paranoid about being attacked while he was in his so called 'sleep' that he had set up a small security system to operate while he was in the suspended animation. A very slight chakra network buzzed around Hiruko while Sasori was unconscious. It was barely detectable, but very effective. If a fast moving object such as a kunai knife were to enter the chakra field then Sasori would immediately regain consciousness. The same would happen if one who had a high - or even a moderate - amount of chakra were to step foot inside of the network. Nothing small or insignificant - like a raven - would disrupt the chakra enough to awaken Sasori - unless it was flying at the same speed as a tossed kunai knife.

So when Sasori was abruptly awoken in the morning, he was quick to take control of Hiruko. Orochimaru stood within the four metre boundary, blinking slowly as the puppet suddenly came to life before giving a soft hum and a smirk. "I was just going to wake you up, Sasori; there's no need to get so tense~" The red head sneered inside of the puppet, but he didn't bother to complain. What was the use? "Let us be off; the Land of Apples awaits~"

Sasori gave a slow nod, "We'll need to go to the closest port and hire a boat or ride a ferry over the ocean. Do you know where the nearest harbour is?" Orochimaru continued to give his smirk and he nodded his head in a yes. "Good then; let's go."

And so began Sasori's very first mission as a true Akatsuki member.

He was off to the Land of Apples.


	26. The Land of Apples Part One

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Land of Apples Part One

Sasori and Orochimaru were currently walking down a dirt path towards the village of Toketsuho. Each side of the path was graced with a never ending jungle of apple trees. A few workers were currently harvesting fruit from the lower regions of the trees, but due to the massive height of the trunks, they had the appearance of almost drowning in the leaves. They weren't panicking, however, and were instead skilfully pursuing their jobs with learnt ease. A few looked over at the two odd travellers, but they didn't bother to give them more than a simple curious glance. So the Akatsuki duo walked uninterrupted into the main village within the Land of Apples with the intent of assassinating the Daimyo within the following week.

-x-

They both sat within the room of the inn, planning out the strategy of how they were going to kill the Daimyo. Whilst the country did not have a hidden village, the guards that protected Komugi were trained within the art of the Shinobi and were at least Jonin level. The Daimyo had several enemies, especially within the land of Kirigakure. Orochimaru and Sasori had even been hired by the Fourth Mizukage to get rid of the Daimyo.

The red head had heard rumours that Yagura, the Mizukage of Kirigakure, was being manipulated by a mysterious puppeteer who lurked within the shadows, but this was simply a rumour and there was no proof whether or not it was true. Sasori really couldn't care less about it though; it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

-x-

Sasori and Orochimaru traipsed calmly through the village of the Apple Country, obviously in sight. There was no need to be stealthy since it didn't matter if anyone saw them; two Akatsuki members had absolutely nothing to fear. The night was young and Sasori could hear the sounds of families sitting down together to have dinner.

A few people still walked the streets and Sasori saw that a lot of the window sills had apple pies cooling on them. The country was not only famous for its orchards, but also for the goods which it produced from the fruits, such as their apple pies and apple cider. Sasori ignored the what-would-have-been-mouth-watering dishes, seeing as he didn't eat anyway, and continued to control Hiruko from inside of the puppet. They both kept moving forward towards the large building which sat in the very centre of the village, which was better known as the Daimyo's abode.

-x-

They easily got pass the two guards which stood at the front of the door. A quick poisoned senbon to the throat killed them instantly and quietly, the only noise being their body's dropping to the dirt. "Very good, Sasori. Now…" The red head looked over at Orochimaru as the male opened his mouth. He watched as a snake extended partly out of his facial orifice, opening its jaws widely. As it did so, it began to reveal a sword handle from its body. Orochimaru grasped the end and pulled the weapon from the snake, which then disappeared back inside of him. The man flicked the sword slightly and closed his mouth into the usual smirk, looking over at Sasori. "This is my sword, Kusanagi. Do you like it?"

"…" The red head had heard tales of a sword by the same name, and it didn't seem unlikely that this was the same blade. "Yes, now let us continue." Orochimaru gave a nod and the sword went limp in his hand, sliding slowing from his grasp onto the dirt. Sasori watched as the weapon transformed into a small white snake which slithered beneath the doorway.

"No need to attract any unwanted attention." He gave a shrug, and pulled the door open. "Kusanagi is excellent in locating secret passages. One of those would seem a more furtive way in which to enter…Agreed?" Sasori gave a simple nod, and waited for Orochimaru to receive word from his sword/snake/thing. "Found one." The male walked through the doorway and Sasori made Hiruko travel behind him. They went undetected down several hallways which were empty of any life other than paintings. Kusanagi was curled up, waiting in front of a large still life portrait of a barren wasteland.

Sasori looked at the carefully depicted desert, comparing it to the vile country which had raised him. The painting, however, did not reveal anything which hinted at civilisation, intelligence, or inhumanity. The centrepiece of the art work was a dull, green cactus which had a glowing white flower blooming on it, reflecting the light of the full moon off of its petals. Without further to do, Orochimaru pulled the painting - frame and all - from its fixed position. Quietly enough, he placed it leaning against the wall to reveal that the wasteland had hidden behind it a covert tunnel.

"Success." Kusanagi slithered up Orochimaru's leg and then to his hand, where it seemed content to wrap itself securely around his wrist. The male gave a chuckle and then entered the tunnel, with Sasori following behind inside of Hiruko. Unlit torches lined the walls, but of course the two Akatsuki members weren't going to actually _light_ them. So they walked through the pitch black darkness, following the tunnel without knowing for sure what lay ahead of them.

Sasori tried to sense any nearby chakra signatures aside from himself and Orochimaru, but for quite a while he found none. The tunnel sloped subtly downwards, and the duo was becoming swallowed up by the Earth. After at least half an hour of walking they reached a dead-end. Orochimaru gave a hum and Sasori sensed that the snake turned to look at him, seeking a solution. The red head was still for a few seconds before he gave a sigh within Hiruko, opening his brown eyes.

Sasori began to thumb through a few scrolls inside of his puppet in thought until he finally selected one. Sasori ran chakra through the seals and then closed his eyes, returning to Hiruko's consciousness. One of the red head's top ten puppets emerged from the scroll, that being a man from Iwagakure who Sasori had named Ishi. He had been a Jonin who had been skilled in performing Earth Elemental Jutsu. The red head attached chakra strings to the puppet and made a few hand signs. Ishi moved forward and placed his puppet palms against the wall.

"Brazen Bolder Jutsu." The stone appeared to swirl, and a gaping hole soundlessly formed in the wall until there was nothing left of the dead-end. Sasori left the puppet there and both Akatsuki members walked into the room which had been beyond the wall. There was a desk covered in various sheets of crisp white paper and a bowl of blood red apples was used as a paperweight. Shelves of scrolls lined the walls and a large bed sat at the very end of the wall. Two figures were currently sound asleep underneath the sheets, curled up together and unaware of their fate.

Orochimaru smirked over at Sasori, giving a quiet chuckle, "Well; time to prove that you belong with us~" The red head gave a nod and moved forward to the bed while the snake began to examine the shelves of scrolls. Sasori reached the sleeping figures, looking between them without much interest. One was definitely the Daimyo, but what surprised the red head the most was that instead of a woman being in the bed with Komugi, there was another man of around the same age.

Both were currently holding onto each other romantically, and they were smiling despite the fact that they were asleep. Sasori felt sickened by the sight. The Daimyo was gay? That was just disgusting. The red head silently watched the two sleeping lovers for a few more sickened seconds before opening Hiruko's mouth. Two poisoned senbon shot out, burying themselves deep into the necks of the victims.

The two men were killed instantly by the red head's poisonous concoction, not even waking up or losing their smiles. Sasori used Hiruko's hand to remove the senbon from their necks, deciding to not leave any trace that an external force had assassinated the pair of homosexuals, "Are you finished yet, Saso?"

The red head looked over at Orochimaru, who was currently putting a few scrolls into a pouch at his hip. "Yeah…We're done here." The snake nodded and shut the bag, walking over to glance at the victims.

"Hmmm? A homosexual man as the Daimyo?" Orochimaru gave a smirk and a chuckle, "Well, isn't that a tad fruity?"

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes, "Well, this is the Land of _Apples_, I guess. A fruity man for a fruity country. Let's go already; I don't care much for gay men." He began to move to the secret passage where Ishi still stood, ready to once again reform the dead end so that it would seem that Sasori and Orochimaru had never been.

-x-

"Hello again! I knew that you could do it!" Sasori and Orochimaru looked over to a corner of the room as a dark shadow seeped up through the floor boards. "**Shut up, this is serious. Anyway; congratulations on achieving your first mission as a team. Sasori of the Red Sand, you are now an Akatsuki member in our eyes." **Said twenty year old gave a simple nod of Hiruko's head, "Welcome!"

-o-

This might surprise you somewhat, but Orochimaru was not my only partner in the Akatsuki. I had three official cohorts in total…Four if unofficial is included; but I shall only mention my professional partners in crime for the time being. The irrefutable Orochimaru, the irenic Kurow, and lastly, the irascible Deidara.

The snake was exactly the same as my self; we got on well together, did a lot of good deeds until he left…Kurow was alright. She only got in my way once; it was a shame that that one time killed her. And lastly, Deidara…

My final partner who I had not even wished for. He was the complete opposite to my self; loud, obnoxious, explosive…Just…Just an altogether nuisance…Deidara was the type that you just loved to hate…Or hated to love…

No. _**Enough**_of this; the story must continue and I must not digress.

-o-

Twenty Three Years old

Sasori was currently alone in the hotel room, busily using Hiruko to create his 118th puppet. He was almost finished the routine surgery; or at least he was until a voice broke him away from the work. "**Sasori,**" the red head made Hiruko look over at the figure which appeared out of the floor. Zetsu. **"For your latest mission you are to travel to the Land of Snow with Kakuzu. Orochimaru is still away on his solo mission, but Leader believes that he would not be suitable for a mission to the Snow Country anyway, due to his distaste for the cold." **Zetsu gave a small shrug. "Yeah, so you're being paired with Kakuzu for this mission. It is an A rank, and you gotta burn this castle down for this guy called Doto Kaza-something-or-other. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand." Sasori nodded Hiruko's head and went back to working on his future puppet. He no longer found Zetsu as intimidating as when he had first joined the organisation three years ago. "Where am I to meet Kakuzu?"

"**We have instructed him to wait for you at the Uzumaki Bridge in the Waterfall Country. You are then to travel to the port and take a boat to the Land of Snow. Is that understood?" **Sasori simply gave another nod, continuing to work without hindrance. "Kakuzu has the rest of the information; meet him at the bridge in three days time at dawn. Just be careful about Kakuzu, and don't get on his bad side. He has killed his last three partners when enraged; so be on the look out."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Zetsu." With that established, the plant disappeared back into the ground, leaving Sasori alone to continue the conversion in peace.

-x-

Sasori stood on the Uzumaki Bridge, looking out at the water below. The reason for its name was because there were dozens of small whirlpools laced into the blue liquid. The red head watched, somewhat amused but mostly irritated. He hated to be kept waiting, and it was an hour pass dawn already. Sasori was beginning to wonder whether he should just go to do the mission alone. He pulled himself away from Hiruko's consciousness as the red head opened up his own eyes.

Sasori gazed down at the nail polish which he had graced his fingers with. It was a new part of the Akatsuki uniform to wear it, though the red head didn't see any real benefit of it. They had been told that it was in the case of doppelgangers trying to disguise themselves as Akatsuki members. Henges were not always exact, and something so unimportant such as nail polish could always be over looked. So if one were to notice that their partner didn't have any nail polish on – or if they were graced with a different colour - then they were most likely an impostor.

Sasori didn't understand why he had to wear it - being inside of Hiruko anyway - but his nails were covered in the stuff nonetheless. He had chosen a teal colouration which was similar to the colour of his dead best friend's teal eyes before he had left the village. Sasori continued to stare thoughtfully at his hands and the colouration, before a series of footsteps cut him off. The red head blinked and quickly closed his eyes, returning to Hiruko's consciousness. He turned the puppet around to gaze at the almost-stranger that was nearing him, "You're Kakuzu?"

"I was in the Wheat Country when I got the message. I've been travelling as fast as possible, but there are limits that should not be pushed." The looming man gave a subtle hum in thought and stopped close to the puppet. "But yes, I am Kakuzu…We haven't met in person before, have we?" Sasori shook his head and the tall man nodded. "So we are going to the Snow Country."

"According to Zetsu we are." Kakuzu gave a nod and Sasori decided to examine the man. He was similar in body structure to what Hiruko had been when the puppet had still been alive; broad shoulders, tall, and looming. Sasori decided that the man would make a very good carapace…But then again, Kakuzu was bound to be even more powerful than the red head was. Besides, Zetsu had warned him about the man's ill temper, which the plant would not have done had it not been worth mentioning…

Kakuzu wore the usual Akatsuki uniform and a headband which had the Takigakure symbol slashed out on his forehead. He had brown hair which fell to his shoulders and he wore a black bandana around the lower half of his face. The very top of his head was blocked by an Akatsuki straw hat which had long white fabric strips running down around the rim, except for a small gap at the front, and a small bell which hung near the front of it.

Hiruko wore the exact same hat which had been a recent addition to the Akatsuki uniform. The irides of his eyes were emerald green, while the sclera was red, and his pupils refused to exist. Sasori saw a critical look in the man's eyes and he knew that Kakuzu was also taking in the sight of Hiruko. "Let's go." Sasori simply gave a nod and they began to move out.

-x-

The Akatsuki duo stood on the bow of the boat, looking out towards the approaching Land of Snow. They were currently debriefing the plan, and going over what needed to be done. "We have been instructed to burn the Kazahana Castle to the ground."

Sasori gave a slow nod and a hum. "What about civilian casualties? Do they want us to save the people living in the castle, or kill them?"

Kakuzu gave a shrug, "I don't know. At the port there should be someone waiting for us who will tell us about the mission. Most likely it will be Doto, but it could also be one of his underlings."

-x-

The pair walked down the plank to the awaiting port below where a figure covered in a pure white cloak immediately gestured for them to go over to him. Sasori guessed that this was the person who had hired them for the operation, and both he and Kakuzu walked over to the figure. The stranger cautiously looked around to make sure that no one was listening, satisfied after a few seconds.

"You are the Akatsuki I hired?" Both nodded and the man revealed his face to the duo without taking his hood off. He had brown shoulder length hair, a square face and small eyes - compared to the rest of his countenance. "I am Doto Kazahana. Are you aware of what you are here to do?" They both nodded once again and the man looked between them, probably sensing just how threatening the duo truly was. He was quiet for a bit as he most likely wondered how he was going to talk to the pair without them getting offended. "Your mission is to set the Kazahana Castle on fire." Sasori noted how he didn't outwardly order them to do something, probably in fear of them killing him if they got irked off. Clever man. "…Make sure that the Daimyo is killed during the fire…That is all…"

"When would you like us to perform this?" Kakuzu was probably about the same level of intelligence as Sasori was, so he must have already known the perfect time to strike.

"At midnight, when everyone is asleep." His defence slipped slightly as a subtle ordering tone made its way into his speech, but neither Akatsuki member was bothered by it. Being members of a mercenary group, they were used to getting ordered at by their Leader, other members, and occasionally their clients.

"Very well." Sasori gave a small look around the area, noting the amount of snow which seemed to be everywhere, and on everything. "We shall strike tonight." Doto gave a quick nod and the red head knew that the conversation was over.

-x-

Sasori climbed out of Hiruko as soon as they were under shelter, giving a look around.

The duo had decided to find a cave that was close to the castle, as Kakuzu had utterly refused to pay the high accommodation prices of the nearby inns. Sasori couldn't really care though. The reason as to why he was out of Hiruko was because during the raid of the castle, he would need to use the flamethrowers of his hands to set the place on fire. "…Interesting." Sasori looked over at Kakuzu, who was currently setting up a fire at the very back of the cave, out of sight from the outside of the hideout.

The red head sealed Hiruko into a scroll, walking over to the man and sitting down on the ground. It had started to snow outside but inside of the cave they were safely away from the cold. "This is my real body; Hiruko is a puppet that I made out of a Sunagakure Shinobi when I was fifteen."

Kakuzu gave a nod and easily lit the fire, sitting down on the stone floor. He looked over at Sasori, finally able to see his youthful looks, "…You look like you're sixteen."

The red head gave a shrug and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't let my looks fool you; I'm actually twenty-three years old." Sasori slightly parted his Akatsuki cloak, just enough to show a hint of his puppet body to the other Akatsuki member. "I've attained Eternity."

"Interesting." Kakuzu gave a nod of thought and unbuttoned his own cloak. "I'm immortal as well, see?" He pulled up his shirt to reveal that his chest was absolutely covered in stitches; his entire body appeared to be just a mass of thread and flesh. "I steal people's hearts. That way I'll live forever."

Sasori gave a nod and Kakuzu once again did his cloak back up. "…But that doesn't necessarily make you immortal." The red head tilted his head to the side in thought. "It makes you Eternal, sure, but there is still the possibility of death."

"But there isn't the possibility; I'm immortal." He gave the red head a somewhat irritated frown, his eye twitching slightly.

"No, if all of your hearts were to get destroyed, then you would die. One who is immortal could be blown to bits, and would still be alive. You and I, we are not immortal; we're Et-" Sasori was cut off when he was forced to abruptly leap into a crouching position on one of the cave walls, using his chakra to remain on the vertical area. There was a loud crash and dust filled the air. Kakuzu stood up and made another move to kill the red head, flinging his now steel fist straight at Sasori.


	27. A Hot Spring

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty Seven

A Hot Spring

Sasori avoided the incoming fist by jumping onto the ceiling, hanging down from the roof using his chakra. He watched Kakuzu who currently had his fist in the wall where the red head had been a mere second ago. The man was still and Sasori prepared for another attack, but it didn't come. Kakuzu pulled his fist from the wall and looked up at Sasori. "…I have a bad temper."

"I noticed…" The red head slowly blinked at the man, cautious of another attack. "But," Sasori risked pushing the subject even further, "we can both not rely on living forever. If I was immortal, would I have even bothered to dodge your attacks just then?" Kakuzu was silent with thought, and the red head dropped back to the ground, landing on his feet. Sasori straightened up, tilting his head slightly. "We can't rely on our invincibility…"

"…" Kakuzu turned around and thoughtfully looked at the red head. "You're right; we can't rely on being immortal…The only thing that one can rely on is money."

Sasori blinked at the man, not exactly expecting that kind of answer… "Money?" Well, at least he had got the point across that being Eternal was not the same as being immortal… "…Sure…Everyone has to rely on something I guess." Sasori sat down by the fire, looking around at the cave. There were now two wounds in the stone, one in the floor and one in the wall. "I rely on my art."

Kakuzu gave a snort and sat down by the fire as well, his anger appearing to have completely vanished. "Art? Well, I guess that is alright…Yes; you can make money through art, so that's acceptable." Sasori rolled his eyes. He had suspected that the man had been a miser when they had decided to reside in a cave instead of a hotel.

"So you agree with me then?" Kakuzu looked over at him, thoughtfully examining the youthful looking red head. "There is Eternity, but there isn't immortality."

"…" He looked back to the flickering flames and pulled a wad of money notes from his trouser pocket, beginning to meticulously count it. "Yeah, I guess you're right…No one is immortal."

-x-

They were running quickly through the snow towards the castle that loomed above them. It had stopped snowing by now and the night was crisp, though the red head could not feel the chill. As they moved Sasori thought to himself about why exactly he was there. He was almost perfect for this mission, as he did not get affected by weather due to his puppet body. But then again, how could Akatsuki's Leader have known that? Orochimaru must have told Pein that Sasori was really a human puppet…But then again…Even the snake didn't know about it…The red head frowned to himself in thought and discarded all the useless ideating. They were almost at the castle, and he needed his mind in reality. "Should we go for a covert operation?"

"…" Kakuzu looked over at him, blinking his eyes slowly in thought. Before they had departed, he had not only graced him self with the Akatsuki straw-hat, but had also put a white hood type thing over his head. It covered his hair so that the only part of Kakuzu's face that was visible was his eyes. Together they had talked out the plan, but both had decided to choose how they were to enter the castle once they were close enough. "Well, we don't need to be secretive about it…Leave the entrance to me."

Sasori gave a nod and they reached the right wall of the castle. They stopped and Kakuzu pulled the sleeve of his right arm back. The red head watched as the man's hand solidified into pure steel. Kakuzu abruptly lunged at the wall, slamming his fist into it. An enormous web of cracks quickly formed and the solid stone abruptly shattered. The man was undoubtedly stronger than the red head and Sasori guessed that back in the cave, Kakuzu hadn't been even full heartedly trying to kill him, or else the whole tunnel may have been destroyed. The red head made a more urgent mental note to remain on the irascible man's good side, or else he would end up being quite fleeting.

Kakuzu shed himself of the Akatsuki cloak and of his shirt, revealing his stitched up body from below. "You go to the left, I'll go right." Sasori gave a nod and they split up, running through separate tunnels.

The red head activated the flamethrowers in his palms and pointed them at the walls, sending bursts of fire to lick at the castle walls. As he ran by each door he would send an especially fiery burst of flame for good measure. Sasori came to an area where the tunnel split into two. The red head used one hand to summon his two female Konohagakure Shinobi and he activated their Jutsu before sending them down the right hallway, while he went down the left. He continued to control the puppets, having them shoot fire from their mouths to eat away at the walls. Sasori used his palms to continue to perform his own job of igniting the building. Screams of sleepy residents began to fill the air, some calling out names which the red head had never heard before. He shrugged them off as if the dyer shouts were nothing more than rain drops which failed to put out the fire he was spewing.

The red head continued to run through the hallways until his fire scroll ran out and burst into paper fragments. Sasori pulled out another scroll and summoned another puppet which had fire abilities. It was Pakura's father puppet, which he had recently dubbed as 'Ura'. Sasori made a few hand signs and activated the puppet's most powerful Jutsu, 'Roaring Phoenix Jaws'. Ura clapped his hands together and fire formed around them. It took the shape of a large bird of prey, giving a screech as it awaited orders. Sasori once again began to run, and the phoenix began to set the walls on fire as he had been doing.

Eventually he reached a point where his two Konohagakure puppets met up with him and he continued to run through the burning castle with the three marionettes, continuing to ignite the abode. Soon he came to a hallway which was already lit on fire. Sasori gave a distasteful look and sealed his puppets back inside of their scrolls, pulling out another which he had not used in a long time.

The single marionette within his oeuvre which had not actually been made from a living thing; Roan. Sasori climbed into the puppet and then shut the hatch, taking control of the giant scorpion. He made it bury itself through the stones, away from the fire, and finally he resurfaced just outside the castle walls. The hatch reopened and a bit of snow fell off of it, landing on top of Sasori's head. Said missing-nin rolled his eyes and brushed it out of his red locks, stepping out of the puppet.

He looked at Roan for a few seconds of thought; it was one of his last links to the village he despised. Sasori continued to watch it for a few seconds, before resealing it back into its scroll. Not today. He began to trudge through the snow, when he heard a slight cough from behind. Sasori turned around and noticed a young girl crawl out of the hole which Roan had created, escaping from the burning castle. The red head frowned and made a move to grab a senbon from his pouch, when something drifted drolly onto his nose. Sasori blinked in surprise and looked up at the sky, noticing that it had once again started to snow. He continued to stare upwards for a few moments longer before the red head gazed back to the girl who had started to run away from the flaming castle as fast as her little legs would take her. Sasori was about to go after the child in order to kill her, when a voice stopped him. "Are we done here?"

The red head turned around, seeing none other than Kakuzu walking over to him. The man was currently slipping his Akatsuki cloak back on, his torso already covered with his shirt. Sasori gave a simple nod and turned to look over his shoulder briefly. The girl's footprints had been devoured by the falling snow, and Sasori decided not to bother following her. The mission had been to simply set the castle on fire, not to kill everyone residing there, even if that had been the goal. The Daimyo had been the only one who had to definitely be dead.

It would be a waste of time anyway; the girl probably knew the land far better than the Akatsuki duo, but one so young surely could not survive alone in such a wasteland. Sasori looked back to Kakuzu who had just finished with buttoning up his cloak, looking towards the ruined castle. The red head followed his gaze and listened to the faint screams of the people who were being eaten by the flames. "…" Sasori gave a gentle hum and gazed towards Kakuzu. "What a waste…But yeah, we're done here."

Kakuzu also looked away from the burning building, nodding at the red head. "Okay then, let's go back to the port and wait for another ship." Sasori agreed and pulled a scroll from his pouch, summoning none other than Hiruko. "…You really love that puppet."

The red head gave a shrug and climbed into the open hatch, closing the grinning mask back down over him. Sasori settled down and shut his eyes, taking control of Hiruko's consciousness. "This is simply insurance; to help me gain an Eternity." Kakuzu gave a nod of understanding and began to trudge through the snow. Sasori followed behind the looming figure, the straw hat which Hiruko wore protecting his head from the pure white snow which fell from the sky like rain.

As they walked, the bells attached to their hats jingled ominously into the dark night, not being quite loud enough to drown out the fading screams of the dying people.

The white snow was burnt by the blood red flames which loomed behind.

-x-

Sasori and Kakuzu were walking off of the ship, once more returning to the main continent of their world. "So, when will Zetsu come in contact with us?" They moved away from the port area into a nearby forest. Sasori didn't know where they were going, but Kakuzu seemed to be aware.

"Watch." The tall man stopped at an insignificant tree, made a few handsigns before placing his palm against it. As he did so a few ink markings formed around his hand. Several seconds went by, and Kakuzu took a step back. Sasori watched as a familiar figure partly appeared to surface from beneath the tree bark.

Zetsu blinked at them both and slightly flexed his flytrap extensions. **"You're still alive, Sasori…Good for you." **He turned to look at Kakuzu, giving him a slight nod. **"You have completed the mission, I take it?"**

"Of course." Kakuzu folded his arms, slowly blinking his oddly coloured eyes. "We did as we were instructed; we set the place of fire and everything."

"**Very good. Kakuzu, you have a new mission within Iwagakure. Sasori, you and Orochimaru also have a job to accomplish together. Meet him at the Dragon Throat Bridge in the Land of Hot Springs. Understood?"** Zetsu slowly blinked and his other voice cut it. "I don't know how Sasori can stand being around Orochimaru; the guy freaks the hell out of me**…That is all."**

Zetsu faded back into the tree, leaving both Kakuzu and Sasori alone once again. The tall man turned to the red head, looking down at Hiruko. "Very well, you heard him. If I remember correctly, Earth Country and the Hot Spring Country are in opposite directions. So I will be seeing you most likely next time Leader has a meeting…"

"Do not tell anyone about my true form." Sasori frowned Hiruko's facial structure at the man. "They would not take me seriously if they knew that I had the body of a sixteen year old."

"Don't worry, I wont tell anyone…Here, take this as a peace offering." The male slipped his hand into his cloak and shirt, beginning to fiddle around with something. Eventually he pulled out a 30cm long piece of the thread which was undoubtedly from his own body. "It's stronger than normal string…I figure it could come in use in the future…" Kakuzu gave a shrug and handed it to Sasori, who took it using Hiruko's hand. He couldn't really think of how it could come to much use, but Sasori decided to save it anyway. Perhaps in a special outfit…No, that would just be a waste. He'd think of something eventually. Kakuzu looked to the left, in the direction of the Earth Country. "We both must be off; remember to be as frugal as possible." The man turned all the way around and began to traipse off in the direction of Iwagakure. Sasori simply gave a nod and started moving towards the Hot Spring Country without looking back.

-x-

By the time Sasori was at the bridge, the moon was already high in the sky. He was late, which he utterly detested. It wasn't his first time in the Hot Spring Country, but it was difficult to locate a specific bridge because there were literally hundreds in the nation. Sasori had refused to ask any of the simpletons for directions, so it had taken even longer to find; but he found it none the less, and Orochimaru was already waiting for him. Dammit, why couldn't the snake be late the one time that Sasori was late? Orochimaru looked over at the other Akatsuki member, giving him that same stupid smirk. "My, Saso, I thought that you didn't like to keep others waiting~"

Sasori glared Hiruko's facial features at Orochimaru, giving a snort. "Do you realise how difficult it is to track down a specific bridge in Hot Spring Country? Like hell I was going to ask for directions."

The snake chuckled, continuing to smirk at Sasori. "My, someone is awfully irascible today~ What, did your puppets get frozen in the Land of Snow~?" The twenty-three year old shook Hiruko's head and Orochimaru gave a hum. "Oh well. Why don't we go to one of the nearby hot springs? Perhaps that will put you in a better mood after having been in that frozen wasteland. It must have been cold~ We may be Akatsuki members, but all the more reason to need some relaxation once in a while."

"In case you have forgotten, we have a mission to do." Sasori detested the idea of going to a hot spring. What the hell would he do? He would not be able to go into the water, and if others were to see his puppet body then they would freak out and attract unwanted attention. Besides, he didn't want to reveal his artificial self to Orochimaru; despite being partners in the Akatsuki for three years, Sasori still did not trust the snake completely.

"I finished it by myself on my way here." Orochimaru gave a simple shrug, irking the red head off. "I thought that you wouldn't mind; so let us go to that hot spring now."

Sasori _knew _that the snake had some ulterior motive other than just relaxing. But then again, if the red head refused to go, then Orochimaru would get suspicious. "…Show me proof that you completed the mission, and then we'll go…"

The snake raised an eyebrow at the redhead and pulled a scroll from his inner cloak pocket. He waved it at Sasori slightly, "This was our objective. Mission accomplished."

"…" Damn, he really had completed the mission without the red head. "Very well…We'll go to a stupid hot spring. I don't know why the hell you're being so persistent." Orochimaru simply smirked knowingly at the puppet, and Sasori made a mental note to stay weary of the snake…Well, _wearier_.

-x-

They had made it to one of the nearby bath houses and were both currently in their private changing room. Orochimaru was already ready, wearing nothing except for the black bathing shorts which they had been issued. The snake looked over at Sasori, giving him a smirk. "What's wrong, Saso? You've never seemed like the shy type before…"

Then it hit him. The red head could have slapped him self.

Why hadn't he thought of it before? It would be a waste of chakra, but… Sasori made the required hand signs for the Jutsu which he had created when he was eighteen years old. He felt an uncomfortable feeling in his heart capsule, and then it spread through out his artificial body.

Sasori cringed at the odd tingle that revealed he was now able to feel once again. He opened his eyes and parted his Akatsuki cloak slightly, looking down at his bare chest. Human. Sasori smirked and sat up, involuntarily hitting his head again Hiruko's mask. He groaned slightly, remembering that he was taller than he had been as a puppet. The red head opened up Hiruko's hatch and stood, revealing his self to Orochimaru. "I wish to get changed without you watching."

The snake stared at him in what was almost surprise, his eyes widening slightly. He quickly regained his composure and gave his usual smirk. "Very well, Saso…" Orochimaru turned and walked out the sliding door to the hot spring area, leaving the red head alone.

Sasori gave a sigh of relief, but he knew that he wasn't completely out of the woods just yet. He began to get undressed, though slightly shakily as he was not used to once again having a human body. Eventually, however, Sasori managed to get out of his clothes and into the pair of black bathing shorts, folding his Akatsuki uniform neatly. He placed the clothes into one of the baskets for when he returned and looked to Hiruko. Sasori gave a hum and rummaged about in his clothes, pulling out a certain scroll. He sealed Hiruko inside of it and placed the scroll back amongst his folded Akatsuki outfit. Sasori looked at the basket for a few seconds before giving a sigh, deciding against putting up a genjutsu.

He wasn't _that _paranoid…Or was he?

The red head turned, about to exit into the hot spring bathing area, when he caught sight of a mirror which had been placed in the private change room. Sasori stared, fixated at the reflection of his twenty-three year old self. He walked closer to the mirror and continued to examine his body, running a hand down his torso. Sasori's hair was slightly longer than what it was in puppet form, but just as blood red. His body was slim, with hints of muscles beneath his pale skin. Sasori's hands slipped up to his face, gazing at the adult structure. His countenance was slimmer, and rather serious. He was twenty-three, and incredibly…Handsome. Sasori gave a hum and pulled his eyes away from the reflection of what his life could have contained.

His puppet body was so much better.

The red head walked through the sliding doors into the steamy hot spring area. It wasn't the public pool, but it wasn't private either; a few others who had also not wanted to go to the crowded main hot spring were in the water, but they kept away from the others, relaxing. Sasori spotted Orochimaru, who was currently sitting with his back to the red head.

He traipsed over to where the snake was and proceeded to look around. There were a total of five others in the spa area besides the Akatsuki duo, those being a group of three girls, and two solitary men who sat a fair way apart. Sasori looked down at the steaming water, raising an eyebrow at it. Orochimaru turned, sensing the red head,, and gazed up at him. "So nice of you to finally join us, Saso~" He gave a smirk, and Sasori rolled his eyes.

The red head sat down on the edge with his legs dangling in the water, getting used to the hot temperature. His skin was awfully sensitive, and he was making sure that the water wasn't hot enough to burn him. It seemed to be of an acceptable temperature, but the red head let his feet dangle in for a few more seconds.

Sasori was distracted by giggling, and he looked over to the group of teenage girls. They were talking amongst themselves, giving the red head quick looks of flirtatious interest. One waved at him, also having the audacity to wink suggestively. Sasori gave them a vapid expression, completely uninterested in the advances. Stupid women.

He slipped fully into the water, simply to try and get them to stop gawking at him. It didn't seem to work, however, as they appeared just as attracted to his countenance than they were to his body. Sasori sighed and closed his eyes, trying to relax in the hot water. In the red head's mind, he made a mental note to poison the snake, simply for dragging him along to such a stupid place. He tried to suppress the twittering of the incessant females, focusing simply on the sound of the moving water.

"Well, Saso, you attract a lot of attention; no wonder you like to stay inside of that puppet." The red head could practically hear the smirk on Orochimaru's lips, changing his mental note to make the snake _suffocate_, rather than simply poison him. Yes, death by suffocation…That would be more suitable… "If you were to attract this much attention all the time, it would be a rather annoying set back in covert operations."

"Precisely the reason I did not want to come here." Sasori's closed eye twitched slightly. Okay, so it was a lie, but dammit he mentally added hot springs to his list of 'Places/Things/People I Detest', right below Orochimaru and just above fireworks. The words seemed to fit mentally sound in place, and Sasori once again returned to focusing on anything other than the nearby harpies.


	28. Humiliation

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Humiliation

A few minutes had gone by in the hot spring, and the two unimportant men had decided that they were finished, leaving the Akatsuki duo alone with the trio of youthful banshees. Sasori continued to daydream about converting people into puppets, succeeding finally in pulling his mentality away from the teenagers. Unfortunately, this didn't last long… Sasori came back to reality when he sensed someone sit down next to him. "Hey, I'm Nami~ I haven't seen you here before."

The red head opened his eyes to see that the girl who had waved/winked at him earlier had had the nerve to scoot next to him. Sasori flinched slightly, automatically reaching for his senbon needles, finding that they weren't there…Oh yeah, his clothing - aside from the black bathing shorts which he had been given - was all back in the change room…Sasori blinked slowly at the stupid girl, giving her an irritated look. "I'm not interested." The girl had long brown hair that fell off of her body almost perfectly. Her eyes were a mouldy green in colour, but despite that, Sasori still guessed that many would consider this stupid girl as being beautiful. She had a large pair of breasts which loomed half in and out of the water, the bikini she was wearing being barely enough to cover the areola areas. Sasori was rather disgusted by this as opposed to turned on. What a _stupid _girl. No wonder he was asexual.

She seemed taken aback by the rejection, but it didn't make her leave the red head alone. "Awww, you don't have to be shy about it~" Nami - or whatever her name was - leaned close to him, running a hand up Sasori's chest. Both her friends were goading the girl on, giggling to see how Nami would reel in the red head. Sasori was completely taken by surprise by the girl putting her hand on him. How DARE she! The red head almost strangled the girl; he almost broke her arms, beat her to a bloody pulp, and sliced her up into tiny-fucking-bits. A whole range of death methods ran through his head, but he managed to cool down his temper before he put any into action, remembering one important fact. He was a Puppet Master…

Sasori gave her a fake, apologetic smile, calmly taking her hand off of him. "Still not interested." He attached chakra strings to the girl and made her turn. Nami's eyes widened in shock, but Sasori didn't let her cry out. He made her walk away from him, much to the two other girl's confusion. Sasori forced the girl to wade to the very middle of the deep hot spring, and without further to do, Sasori made her go completely underneath the water's surface. After a few seconds, the red head felt her struggling against his puppet strings, trying to once again breathe in air. Her friends looked between one another, confused as to what Nami was doing.

Stupid girls.

Eventually they decided to save their friend, wading over to her. Sasori gave a slight sadistic chuckle and let go of the chakra strings as the two girls reached Nami, helping her to surface. She spluttered and coughed up water, having been mere seconds away from drowning. The red head's smirk fell as his satisfaction slowly disappeared, and he gave a sigh. Sasori looked over to Orochimaru, who was smirking at him. "You're too kind." The redhead shrugged and stood up, signifying that he was done with the hot spring. Orochimaru got to his feet as well, and they climbed out of the water.

Sasori walked back into their private change room, listening to the sound of the door shutting behind Orochimaru. He ran a hand through his hair, the red locks being wet at their ends and dry at the top of his head. Sasori turned around to make some snide comment about the annoying females, when he abruptly felt his body get slammed against the wall. His eyes widened as Orochimaru grabbed onto Sasori's wrists, pinning them above his head. He struggled slightly, but found he couldn't get out of the snake's grip. Sasori glared up at Orochimaru, who simply smirked down at him. "I want your body, Saso~"

The red head slowly blinked up at the snake, his eye narrowing darkly and twitching in absolute irritation, "You can't rape me. I'll…Bobbitt you." Weak threat, but Sasori was currently struggling to keep his rage from taking over. The snake was touching him. The snake was touching him. The snake was _fucking _**touching** him! HOW DARE THE SNAKE FUCKING TOUCH HIM!

"You have me all wrong, Saso." The snake's smirk fell, and he gave the red head an obvious look. "I don't _want_ your body…I want your _body_." He blinked slowly at Sasori, who still didn't really get the difference. "For a Jutsu I have created in order to gain immortality. I take over younger bodies; that way I will never die. I have yet to try it, but a body like yours…" The snake had the boldness to run his inhuman tongue up the right side of Sasori's face. The red head shuddered slightly, but not out of pleasure; in disgust and because of the anger inside of him that was bubbling ever higher. "A body like yours will last at least a decade before I'd need to find a different one."

Sasori was absolutely fed up with the snake touching him. "You can't have my body; I'm using it. Besides, you're already too late." Without further to do, the red head released his transformation Jutsu, his flesh vanishing completely along with the feeling of actually being touched. Sasori calmly shot his stomach cable forward, stabbing the snake right through the gut. Orochimaru's eyes widened in what was most likely shock as the body he had yearned for disappeared into that of a puppet. He looked down at the stomach cable embedded in his gut, before giving a disgusted look. "You're lucky that I didn't have any poison on the cable today."

"…Why would you do this to your own body? It was perfect…" He looked back up at the red head, sneering, "And you ruined it!"

"I'm Eternal now." Sasori shrugged and retracted his stomach cable, feeling – or rather sensing - Orochimaru's hands move off of him as he clutched at the wound. While Sasori's cable wasn't poisoned, an injury in such a place was undoubtedly painful, even for Orochimaru. Sasori turned and calmly walked over to the basket which he had his clothes in, getting dressed at a leisurely pace. Afterwards, he walked back over to the stupid snake who was now on his knees, trying to heal the wound. Orochimaru was no where near as skilled at healing Jutsu as Sasori was, and the red head guessed that it would be a pain if he was forced to find a new partner. "Here." He pulled Orochimaru's hands away and placed his own palm against the wound. The snake didn't stop him, however. Sasori began to run chakra through his palm, activating his Tender Touch Technique to heal the wound. It only took a few seconds before the organs, flesh and skin reformed with the red head's help. "There." Sasori took his hand, straightened up and traipsed a few feet away. He pulled out a scroll and summoned Hiruko once again, climbing calmly into the puppet's protective body. "We're leaving; don't keep me waiting, Orochimaru."

Sasori had actually succeeded in humiliating the snake.

-x-

Twenty-Four years old

Sasori used Hiruko's tail to deflect the incoming kunai knives, diverting their course into that of a nearby tree. He was getting sick of this. "Just tell me already so that I can kill you." The girl shook her head and once again threw another round of kunai knives at the puppet. Sasori was as annoyed as hell. He batted the weapons away again before shooting his tail at the girl. She yelped and jumped higher up the tree she was currently situated in. Sasori growled as the aquamarine-haired female moved out of reach of Hiruko's tail. What a nuisance! "Just tell me the information, and I'll let you go."

"…Really?" She frowned down at him. "You'll let me go, Master Sasori? Or will you turn me into one of your Human Puppets?"

"I'll let you go." Well, he had been going to at first, but since she had been such a pest, he was going to kill her anyway. "Free as a bird." Said girl was one of his Sleeper Agents that he had stationed in Kumogakure. For the mission which he was to undertake, the red head required information which the girl possessed, so he had broken the seal. Unfortunately, unlike all the other agents, she hadn't been so loyal.

She had met up with Sasori, sure, but she had also brought a group of ANBU Black Ops along with her. It had been a nuisance to kill off the Shinobi, and by the time Sasori had done so, the girl by the name of 'Ayame' had already climbed up the stupid tree she was currently in. Unfortunately, Sasori couldn't kill her until he gained the information that he sought. "I don't believe you."

The red head gave a harsh sigh. "You're in a tree; how the hell could I even reach you? Tell me, and I will leave." Of course he could always just use his chakra to climb up the tree, but she didn't seem to realise that.

"…Fine…" She settled on the branch and thought for a few seconds. "The Kumogakure Kaminari Goku is found at the top of Mt Dekai. There are permanent thunderclouds around the jail that unleash extremely powerful bolts of lightning. The prisoner outfit is made of a fabric that contains traces of a metal which attract this lightning, so one cannot escape Kaminari Goku without a clothing change. The guards usually go in trios, pairs if you are lucky. They specialise in Raiton, that is, lightning Elemental Jutsu…" Ayame frowned in thought. "There is a weak spot around the perimeter used for emergencies; on the north side there is a small groove in the wall, but you'll need two people with Raiton to open it…That's everything important. The cells are in alphabetical order; the one that you seek should be on the third floor."

Sasori nodded Hiruko's head, giving a slight hum. "Very good; is that everything that you know of it?"

Ayame gave another frown in thought, before she gave a nod. "Yeah, that should be everything."

"Good to know that you were only half a failure." Without further to do, Sasori pointed Hiruko's left arm into the air. Ayame yelped and tried to go up higher, but it didn't help one bit. The latest addition to Hiruko activated perfectly and it shot upwards into the air. Sasori had replaced the puppet's left arm with a bulky apparatus which was full of cylindrical containers, including five which replaced the puppet's digits. As soon as the mechanism was within range of the girl, Sasori activated it. "Die."

The containers launched in all direction before the two halves of each split away. Poisoned senbon needles shot out of the cylinders, flying everywhere. Ayame managed to dodge three, but finally one hit her. This was followed by four more also imbedding themselves into the Shinobi, but one was all that was needed. She slipped from the tree, but she was already dead before she hit the ground. Sasori gave a hum and moved over to Ayame's body, looking at her with a sigh. He opened Hiruko's top half and parted his Akatsuki cloak vapidly. Sasori opened the small compartment which he had installed on the right side of his chest, and released chakra threads out of it.

The red head had decided that he no longer would stand to have his number of puppets controllable at once to such a pitiful amount as ten. So within the right side of his torso he had built exactly 140 small rods which he could send chakra through, giving him a new maximum of 150 puppets at once. With his threads he recovered all of the senbon needles and put Hiruko's left arm back together, reattaching it once again to the puppet. Sasori sighed with boredom, looking back to the dead body of Ayame. "If she wasn't loyal, then that means that my Sleeper Jutsu has some flaws…Oh well, I have a mission to complete…Clothing…Hmmm…" Sasori gave the girl a critical eye, before giving a hum. "I guess she won't need her clothes anymore, so I might as well take them."

-x-

Sasori was almost at the top of Mt Dekai, or more specifically, the high security prison which sat on top of it. He was currently in the Lightning Country on a mission to rescue a woman from Kaminari Goku. Apparently her father had been the one to request Akatsuki to rescue the girl, which was why Sasori had been sent on this mission. He was alone as Orochimaru was currently on an assignment with Kisame, but Sasori was perfectly capable of handling an S-Rank mission all by himself.

So the red head was currently climbing the northern side of the mountain, wondering whether or not to trust Ayame's information on the hidden entrance. He couldn't use Hiruko's tail outside of the building, as it would definitely attract lightning. Sasori did not plan on getting electrocuted any time soon.

-x-

Just as the girl had said, there was indeed a small indent in the wall. It appeared rather insignificant, but Sasori guessed that that was on purpose. The red head opened his eyes, returning to his own consciousness as he pulled a scroll from the compartment he had added to the inside of Hiruko, summoning two of the twenty puppets which the paper possessed. They stood a bit before him, one on either side of the dent. The duo consisted of the puppet Baka, and also a newer marionette which had also been from Kumogakure. This puppet was a man with long brown hair tied in a low ponytail that was particularly skilled at Raiton Elemental Ninjutsu. Sasori had called him 'Inazuma'.

He made both puppets place one hand over the groove of the wall and he proceeded to activate their elemental techniques. There was a buzzing noise and the stone parted just wide enough for Hiruko to squeeze through. Sasori sealed both puppets back into the scroll and returned to the marionette's consciousness, moving forward through the tunnel.

It led to an empty cell on what Sasori guessed was the second floor of the prison. Ayame had said that the girl would most likely be on the third…

The cell door wasn't locked, and the red head easily went through to the walkway, searching for the staircase. Sasori almost wished that he still had his Rats, but unfortunately they had been destroyed on a recent S-Rank mission. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" The red head didn't bother even turning Hiruko around to face the two guards, simply flinging his tail at them.

They had definitely not been expecting that, and Sasori easily stabbed them both, the poison killing them immediately. The prisoners moved as far away from the cell doors as possible when Sasori approached, not wanting to mess with the puppet. He finally found a metal staircase, climbing to the next level, where he was met with three guards this time. Sasori mentally sighed and pulled back Hiruko's bandana, showering a total of six senbon at them. They all got struck by at least one, and Sasori was able to continue forward.

He began to wonder how the hell he was going to find the girl he was searching for amongst all of the cells. Sasori continued to make Hiruko move along the cages, catching a glimmer of déjà vu. He remembered when he had once had a prisoner himself, a little girl who had gone by the name of Pakura. Sasori caught himself slightly wondering about the fate that had befallen her. Karura had been instructed to take care of the girl, but what had happened to Pakura after the blonde had passed away?

Sasori mentally scolded himself. There was no use in wondering about the past. It held nothing for him.

Sasori continued down the line of cells, looking in at the convicts, trying to find the one he sought. Most generally didn't bother him, but occasionally there would be the idiot that either shot him a snide comment or begged for Sasori to free them. The red head payed no attention to either comment-type, deciding it best to just ignore the prisoners aside from the one he was there to free.

The red head gave a slight growl as he began to near the end of the cells. Dammit, had Ayame lied to him? Sasori continued to look into the cages, finally stopping when he reached the last cell. He peered in as the girl who sat in there looked up at him. Sasori easily recognised her as the same woman in the photograph he had been given. "Who are you?"

The red head used Hiruko's tail to push the door in, grabbing it before the bars hit the ground. Sasori was not in the mood to fight any more guards. "Your father sent me." Sasori put Ayame's clothes into Hiruko's mouth, and made the puppet take them, offering the clothing to the girl. "Change into these and don't keep me waiting."

She nodded quickly and stood, taking the outfit from the puppet, giving a small 'Thank you' in return. The girl wasn't the least bit modest about getting changed in front of Sasori, but prison would do that to a person. She had long brown hair that wasn't tied up, an almost flat chest, and a pair of black eyes. Her body was thin, but Sasori couldn't tell whether she was naturally skinny or had just been deprived from food for too long. Whatever it was, this was definitely the girl from the photograph…When he tried to think of what her name was, the red head found that it had slipped his mind…Oh well. She finally finished getting dressed and gave Sasori a gentle smile. "Thank you so much…"

The Akatsuki member snorted and turned around, prepared to leave. "Don't thank me; I'm just doing my job." Sasori was about to exit the cell, when he was once again stopped by the girl asking him what his name was. "...I don't have to answer that."

"Oh…" He exited the cell and the brunette followed behind him, staying close to her rescuer. "Well, it's nice to meet you." She seemed to have a rather kind disposition, and unlike most people Sasori met, the girl wasn't too irritating. "You probably already know this but…My name is Kurow." …How irenic…


	29. Haptephobia

As White as Blood

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Haptephobia

Twenty Five Years Old

Sasori and Orochimaru were in the hotel room, having just completed their latest mission of kidnapping and delivering a random pretty woman for some obsessive man…Work was work, and the Akatsuki rarely denied work, even if it was immoral.

They were now on a small break as work had been surprisingly slow for the past few weeks. The duo didn't really care though; some free time every now and then did no harm. The red head was currently outside of Hiruko, as he was repairing some damage which the puppet had taken during their last assignment. Luckily it was nothing that the red head couldn't fix.

"Hey, Saso?" He gave a hum of acknowledgement, not bothering to even look up at Orochimaru. "Do you remember those scrolls that you took from the Konohagakure Hokage Library?"

"The Uzumaki Scrolls? Yeah, I should still have them actually." Sasori stopped working on Hiruko to momentarily think, "Yeah, I do still have them."

"Can I borrow them?" The red head looked over at the snake, raising an eyebrow at him. Sasori gave a shrug, seeing no possible harm, and stood up, beginning to rummage around in his medical pouch, pulling out a single scroll. He ran some chakra through it and all of the Uzumaki scrolls tumbled out of thin air.

Neither Sasori nor Orochimaru noticed one of them that rolled beneath Hiruko's arm, becoming hidden from sight momentarily.

Sasori picked up the bunch of rolled papers and carried them to the one single bed of the room which Orochimaru used to sleep. The red head slept - well, went into his semi-conscious state of dreamlessness - inside of Hiruko. He was a puppet, so comfort was no real issue, and hiring a room with just a single bed was cheaper than always renting one with two single beds or a double bed, though apparently other Akatsuki pairs had two single rooms. It wasn't really worth the extra cost.

"Here, just give them back once you're done. There are still some sealing techniques that I would like to learn from them." Orochimaru nodded and Sasori dumped the mass onto the sheets. The snake began to rummage around them, giving a confused noise.

"What's this…?" He picked up a scroll which was different to all the others; while the Uzumaki scrolls had red rims, this one was a mystic blue in colour. Sasori recognised it as the scroll which he had not been able to decipher when he had been sixteen.

"I'm not quite sure…" The red head sat down on the bed next to the snake, raising an eyebrow at it. "I think that someone may have accidentally placed it amongst the Uzumaki scroll section. I couldn't decipher it when I last tried nine years ago…"

"Do you realise what this is?" Orochimaru stared at the red head, dumbfounded. Sasori simply shook his head in denial. "I was searching for this scroll for years when I was in Konohagakure…" The snake opened it up to reveal the intricate writing, "It contains a Kinjutsu created originally by the Second Hokage - Tobirama Senju - which is called 'Reanimation' or 'Impure World Resurrection'…Or the 'Edo Tensei'…With it, one is capable of bringing the dead back to life…"

Sasori was quiet with both awe and thought; this entire time he had been in possession of a scroll which was capable of bringing back the dead? He imagined the kind of deeds which he could do with such a Jutsu…Sasori could bring his parents back to life. Daichi. Karura. His friends could once again come back to the world of the living… "But is it even possible to decipher?"

Orochimaru smirked at the red head, giving a nod. "With two minds as intelligent as ours, it will be so simple~"

-x-

They had been trying to decipher the scroll for three long days, almost non-stop, and yet they had only managed to translate a forth of it. All that they had learnt thus far was that the Kinjutsu required a human sacrifice per resurrected soul. Orochimaru abruptly rolled the scroll shut, smirking at the red head. "Now now Saso, even I believe that we should take a break." The red head gave him a frown. Well, his mind was admittedly going slightly blurry, and he guessed that both of them could do with a nap.

"Very well." Orochimaru put the scroll away for later and made his way straight to the bed while the red head moved to Hiruko, about to climb inside. He was stopped, however, when his eyes caught onto something hidden beneath the puppet's arm. Sasori frowned and picked it up, recognising the thing as an Uzumaki Scroll. The red head guessed that it had rolled into its hiding spot earlier.

Sasori was about to give it to Orochimaru, when he stopped…The red head opened the scroll, easily translating some of the text at a glance. It described a fuinjutsu where one could perform a seal that lasted until the caster died…In Sasori's case, that was actually a very useful Jutsu considering that he was Eternal…

The red head rolled up the scroll and climbed into Hiruko, deciding to keep the fuinjutsu for himself; Orochimaru wouldn't miss what he didn't know about.

-x-

The red head was abruptly awoken by a new source of powerful chakra forming out of thin air. He blinked a few times before closing his eyes once more, taking control of Hiruko's consciousness. Just as he had suspected…

None other than Zetsu stood in the middle of the room, looking around. Orochimaru was also awoken, sitting up in the single bed to look at the plant. "What is it?

Zetsu looked between the duo; giving a hum. **"Leader wishes to see you two in person." **Now _that_ caught their attention. Sasori had never actually met the feared Leader of the Akatsuki, Pein - other than a hologram… "Yeah, such a privilege…You are to meet him at the Aosora Temple in the Fire Country in two days time; got it?" They both agreed and the plant disappeared into the floorboards.

"…: Orochimaru chuckled, looking over at Sasori. "My, Leader isn't the type to grace us with his company very often…Aren't we lucky?"

-x-

The duo arrived at the temple early, but it didn't seem to make much difference. They entered the building to find that they were the last ones there. Sasori firstly recognised the figure of Kisame; he looked the same as when the red head had last seen him. Akatsuki cloak, tinted blue skin, gills on his cheeks, tiny shark-like eyes, spiked up blue hair and a Kirigakure forehead-protector with the symbol slashed out. On Kisame's back was his sword, Samehada, wrapped in bandages as per usual.

Sasori had been on a few missions in the past with Kisame, and the red head was aware that the shark's partner, Keisu, had died only a few weeks ago. Pein had summoned them all to a hologram meeting a few days after the death where he had told them to be on the look out for any strong Shinobi who would be able to replace the deceased member. Apparently when someone in the Akatsuki died - given they weren't Kakuzu's unfortunate partner - it was pretty big news.

For Akatsuki, one death was a tragedy, while a million deaths was simply a statistic.

Sasori's eyes then drifted to the other familiar-stranger. The red head could tell right away that this was definitely Akatsuki's Leader, Pein. He had short orange hair, Akatsuki cloak, and an Amegakure headband with the symbol slashed in half. His countenance and ears were dotted with piercings, while Pein's eyes were full of black outlined circles which hinted at a Dojutsu that Sasori was unfamiliar with. He had an air around him which _demanded_ authority, power and respect. "Orochimaru and Sasori, welcome. I don't believe that I have given you the pleasure of meeting previously with you in solid form, Sasori of the Red Sand. I am Pein; the Leader of the Akatsuki."

The red head simply made Hiruko nod in agreement, and he moved over next to Kisame. "Yo Saso, long time no see! In person, that is." The shark grinned at him, rubbing the back of his head, "I think I'm meeting my new partner today. Some kid from Konoha or something. Apparently he is only ten years old, and Leader says that the kid can't necessarily be officially in Akatsuki just yet. His name is I-"

"Enough." They all looked to Pein simultaneously. He was facing the door way emotionlessly, giving a hum of thought. "Our new member has arrived…" The Akatsuki members all looked towards the open doorway, watching as an unfamiliar figure approached. It was a male with long raven hair, black clothing, a light lavender vest, and a sword sheathed on his back. He wore a Konohagakure forehead protector with the symbol sliced in two. Sasori watched as the ten year old finally revealed his face, looking upwards. His countenance had two lines running diagonally from the bridge of his nose to each jaw which made him look somewhat older than he was. The more prominent and remarkable feature, however, was the child's eyes. They were red, and Sasori easily recognised the Dojutsu…Sharingan…

"Itachi _Uchiha_…" The red head didn't have to look at his partner to confirm the fact that the snake was smirking. Orochimaru and this Itachi kid were both from Konohagakure…The snake must have been interested in the Sharingan; even the red head was to a moderate extent. A Dojutsu that allowed you to copy the moves of others…Sasori had once heard a story of a man famously known as the Copy Ninja who had a Sharingan, and he had two puppets that also had the eyes, though Sasori had not been able to figure out how to use them. It was a powerful weapon to possess. No wonder Pein was letting this kid become an Akatsuki member, despite being at such a young age…Then again; Sasori had already been a skilled Puppet Master at about the same time in his life…

"Yes, welcome Itachi Uchiha." Pein slowly blinked at the child before giving a hum of approval, "I am the Leader of the Akatsuki, and you are to refer to me as such. This is your future partner, Kisame," He gestured to the man, and then to the other members of the Akatsuki. "This is Orochimaru, and this is Sasori. They are also a part of our organisation."

Itachi firstly looked to Pein, then to Kisame, and he gazed at Orochimaru for a few seconds longer than the others. He seemed completely uninterested in everything which was going on. And then he looked straight at Sasori…

The red head was momentarily overwhelmed; Itachi wasn't just looking at Hiruko, he was looking at _Sasori_. He already _knew _that the real mastermind simply dwelled within the intimidating puppet. Itachi could see straight through Hiruko; he could gaze straight through the red head's puppet body, and finally, what Sasori really was hiding became obvious to his all seeing eyes.

The red head was suddenly in that dark place again. The sounds of a crying child filled his ears.

A naïve child made up of a simple white outline, crying over the loss of everything and everyone he had ever held dear; weeping over the innocence that had been stolen from him, and what he had been forced to become.

The insecure little runt that had just wanted to remember what love was.

The one that had somehow forgotten what the definition of the emotion was. The child's crying roared in Sasori's ears, louder than an explosion, yet quieter than a butterfly's heartbeat.

NO!

It was all over in a few seconds.

Sasori was once again Hiruko, and Itachi was looking back to Pein. The red head could no longer hear the crying child which lurked in the dark depths of his entity, though he was shaking slightly, even with his puppet body. "Itachi, you have two years to do something which reveals your worth of being an Akatsuki member. Is that understood?" The ten year old gave a simple nod, appearing to not be the talkative type, "Good. Kisame, give him the uniform."

The shark nodded and moved forward, giving Itachi a parcel. "Nice to meet you, Itachi. I'm Kisame, and if you get on my bad side, you're dead." The Uchiha slowly blinked at the shark and took the offered parcel.

"Thank you, Kisame." He gave the shark a slow nod and then they all looked back to Akatsuki's Leader.

"Itachi…Since Orochimaru is also a past Konohagakure Shinobi, he shall escort you back to your village." The Uchiha looked to the snake, still apparently uninterested. "Kisame and Sasori, I have a mission for the both of you - which is one of the reasons I called you here."

Both Akatsuki members gave a nod and Orochimaru walked forward to Itachi. "So then, shall we be off?" The Uchiha gave the snake a calculating look before giving a subtle nod in agreement.

"Very well," Pein gave a slight hum, "take care." With that said, Orochimaru and Itachi left. Sasori watched them go, not knowing that it would be the very last time he'd ever see the snake alive.

-x-

Sasori and Kisame were on their way to pay a visit to a man by the name of Rirekisho who had hired the Akatsuki for a mission but had refused to pay the ryo he owed. "I feel almost sorry for the man; the Akatsuki is a powerful enemy." Kisame gave a shrug and chuckled slightly.

"What do you think about Itachi?" Sasori was still fairly puzzled over what had happened earlier when the Uchiha had looked at him.

"Hmmm?" Kisame thought for a few seconds, before giving a shrug. "He seems alright. I wonder if he is from Root, though…" The red head made Hiruko frown, and he questioned the shark as to what 'Root' was. "Well, I don't know anything exact, but there are heaps of rumours going around about it. Apparently this man called Danzo gets young Shinobi and trains them to be his lapdogs. I've heard that they live together from a young age - brought up like a family - and then when they are older Danzo pits them against one another in a fight to the death. A perfect Shinobi is one who does not hesitate, and if they are forced to kill those who have meaning to them…Well, what better way to kill their emotions?" Kisame gave a chortle of amusing irony. "In Kirigakure we had a similar system where Academy Students were forced to kill one another, but it stopped when this kid called Zabuza killed all the students one year. What about your village? Sunagakure, wasn't it? I'm awfully curious about your village; not a lot of information on their training methods is let out."

Sasori gave a hum of thought, remembering back to when he had been but eight years old. How long ago was that? Seventeen years? Had it really been that long? "We also had a similar system. When Genin wished to advance to being Chunin, then team members were pitted against one another so that the village gets rid of the useless young. I killed my friend Daichi, but no matter how much I wished, I couldn't kill my best friend, Karura." Sasori remembered back to the time, reminiscing about how stupid and naïve he had been. If he could repeat his life then he would have just killed Karura when he had had the chance. Better to be killed by your best friend's hands than by giving birth to a monster. "Instead, Karura and I changed the system to fit our wishes. Sure, they succeeded in killing our emotions by having us kill our friends, but they still don't get the best Shinobi if it is simply team-mate against team-mate. So we just began eliminating other Genin and Chunin groups until they allowed us to advance."

"My, how cruel!" Kisame gave a loud laugh of amusement, grinning down at Sasori, "Looks like you and I have more in common than we first thought. We're both monsters; we were raised to be killing machines by the villages that we once called home. Now look at us; we've betrayed them just as they betrayed us…" He gave another chuckle and looked back to the road ahead. "Isn't the Akatsuki such a gloomy organisation?"

"I've never thought of the Akatsuki as being 'Gloomy'; it seems rather homely to me, actually…I feel far more accepted here than I ever did in Sunagakure." Sasori gave a vocal sigh in thought.

"Yeah…" Kisame gave a small chuckle, grinning towards the shining sun. "So why is it that you joined the Akatsuki anyway? Everyone seems to have a reason…Except for you…"

Sasori abruptly halted Hiruko and opened up his own eyes in thought. He heard Kisame stop walking as well, giving a confused noise. The red head sat for a few seconds, still ideating, before he calmly opened Hiruko's hatch, remaining seated inside. Kisame watched as the true mastermind, the real Sasori of the Red Sand, was revealed from the inside of the puppet façade, "I joined Akatsuki, because…" The red head looked up at the shark, a vapid expression plastered on his face, "I want people to take me _seriously_."

He was lying; Sasori really didn't have any reason for joining the Akatsuki…Perhaps he had just been lonesome…?

"…" Kisame gave him a grin and offered the red head a hand, "Well, Sasori of the Red Sand…If you want people to take you seriously, then you'll have to do it without the puppet." The red head looked to the offered hand, but didn't make a move to take it.

"No." He slowly shook his head in thought, returning his gaze to Kisame, "The only time anyone takes me seriously is when I'm inside of Hiruko. His appearance demands respect, while I possess the face of a sixteen year old boy who ran away from the issues of the world…I'm twenty-five, and yet if others were to see me as this…" Sasori remembered the Third Kazekage's reaction to seeing the red head outside of Hiruko. _'My my…_ _Now __**there**__ is the little insecure child that I used to know; more literally than I had originally thought.' _The red head slowly shook his head in denial; thinking of what he had seen when looking into Itachi's all seeing eyes.

It was all true. Deep down inside of him was still that little insecure child which he had been trying to hide; even now he was still crying away for his endless woes.

Kisame took his hand away, running it through his blue hair with a hum of thought, "Yeah, I guess you are sort of right…But-" The shark cut himself off, seeming to decide not to ask the question. "…Well, I guess it doesn't really matter what you look like, I mean just look at me!" A dark dismal shadow covered his face. "…After all, I'm blue…" Sasori raised an eyebrow, slightly relieved. Kisame seemed to have his own insecurities as well. "But you don't see me hiding inside of a creepy puppet." The umbra disappeared just as fast as it had appeared, and the shark grinned at the red head. "So what do you say?" Once again, Kisame put his hand out to help Sasori from the husk of what had once been a living human.

"…" The red head gave the man a rather blunt look, "I have Haptephobia." Kisame blinked his small eyes down at Sasori, clearly not understanding what that meant. "…" The red head rolled his muddy brown orbs in annoyance, "I have a fear of being touched."

"…Oh…" Kisame was still for a few seconds, before he abruptly burst out laughing. He cackled so much that he literally fell to the ground and began to roll around while holding onto his sides.

Sasori's eye twitched with rage and he closed Hiruko's hatch with a snap, once again beginning to lurch down the pathway towards their mission objective. "No one ever takes me seriously…"

A loud wavering noise suddenly went through Sasori's mind, and he stopped. Kisame heard it as well and he immediately ended his laughter. Their Leader's voice sounded through both of their minds simultaneously. _"Akatsuki; I am calling a meeting…An issue has just surfaced involving one of our members…"_


	30. The Accident

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty

The Accident

Sasori and Kisame moved off of the path and into the forest, finding a secluded area in which they would not be interrupted. Once they were satisfied they both made half ram hand signs, letting Pein gather their thought waves and amplify them to an unknown location. The next thing Sasori knew, he was in a cave with the other Akatsuki Holograms. "We have several issues which must be discussed."

The red head frowned and made his Hiruko hologram look around, counting and recognising the members…Seven…Himself, Kisame, Kakuzu, Pein, Konan, Zetsu, and Kakuzu's latest partner whose name Sasori had not bothered to even memorise…Wait…Where was-

"Orochimaru has left the Akatsuki." …What? "Sasori, you are to start searching for a new partner as soon as possible…" Everyone had questions that wanted answering, and yet no one dared to interrupt Pein. "I have decided to set up a new system of rules considering partnerships…I'm ceasing all inter-duo missions and I'm setting cohorts as being permanent unless I authorize otherwise. Kisame and Sasori, after you complete your mission, you are to no longer operate in a pair. Kisame, while your partner is not a member quite officially, Itachi is still your partner. Sasori, you are highly capable of operating alone in the time being. Be on the look out for a new partner, however. Unfortunately, Orochimaru took his ring with him; so Kisame, you need to give Sasori the Akatsuki ring that you were going to give to Itachi in the mean time. Zetsu, after you finish your own mission, give Kisame the ring which your own partner is supposed to have." They all agreed and Pein gave a nod in authority. "Good. If anyone is to come into contact with Orochimaru, kill him and make sure that he suffers…No one leaves the Akatsuki and gets away with it…This will also be our last group meeting until further notice. You're dismissed."

They all nodded and disappeared back to where their real selves were. Sasori opened his eyes for a few seconds, blinking to him self. Orochimaru had left? Wait…He had _left_! That bastard had still possessed Sasori's Uzumaki Scrolls and the Reanimation Jutsu Scroll as well! Sasori sneered in distaste. That fucking snake! How dare he!

Oh…The red head remembered that he had kept one of the Uzumaki Scrolls…A small consolation prize, but better than the snake taking _all_ of them. All his wishes of bringing back those who he had ever held dear with the use of the Edo Tensei Jutsu were gone though. Sasori gave a sigh and took control of Hiruko once again. "Why the hell does Leader even bother with the whole ring thing?"

Kisame looked over at Sasori, giving a hum and standing up. "There are only ten rings in total, and Orochimaru took his, so there is now only nine…" The shark shrugged and began rummaging about in his Akatsuki cloak. "Leader is pretty strict about each member having one of them, and now that Orochimaru has taken his…Well, let's just say that Akatsuki's maximum number of members has dropped to nine rather than ten."

"…How odd…" Kisame gave a shrug and pulled a ring from the inside of his Akatsuki cloak, offering it to Sasori. The puppet held out Hiruko's hand and the shark placed it in the marionette's palm.

The red head made the puppet place it into Hiruko's mouth, and Sasori opened his real eyes. He reached forward and picked up the ring, bringing it close to gaze down at it. The accessory was similar in appearance to Sasori's ring except instead of purple it was azure and bore the kanji 'Blue'. He raised an eyebrow at it and compared the ring to his own. If both symbols were to be put together, then they would read 'Sapphire'…Sasori gave a simple sigh and put the ring into the small compartment inside of Hiruko.

-x-

Sasori looked out at the setting sun, pondering thoughtfully and alone.

The blood red was beautiful, but he had seen the exact same colour in every single sunset he had viewed in his entire life. He decided that a change was necessary. Sasori clicked his fingers and the sun turned blue.

He frowned, unsatisfied with the colour, and continued to click his fingers. Green, purple, pink, teal and white. The red head gave a sigh and turned it back to crimson, finding no other colour quite fitted the scene any better. Sasori then decided that he was sick of the sunset anyway, so he clicked his fingers once again. The red ball abruptly dropped below the horizon and the empty world went dark.

Sasori gave a hum and made a full moon appear; it shone on the surface of the ocean, glittering beautifully. The red head decided that the scene could look even more enthralling, clicking his fingers once more. Out of the sand, white and red roses bloomed beautifully, the moon reflecting off their mystic petals, giving the notion that it was the flowers themselves that were radiating light.

A wave crashed close to the shore, sending up a spray of water droplets. Once they were airborne, the water morphed into a swarm of fireflies that glowed with a brilliant luminosity. They floated harmlessly in the air, like little white lanterns, shining on the water's surface.

He noticed a firefly – slightly smaller than all the others – flying through the simple air, coming to drift close to his lonesome self. Sasori put a hand out and grasped the tangible form, feeling the thing within his clutches. He pulled his hand back and opened it to look inside. The red head was faintly surprised to see that the firefly had vanished…

Sasori looked around at the breathtaking scenery, rather aloof. It was indeed a magnificent sight, but it was a shame that it was not real. The red head gave a sigh and ended the Jutsu he had learnt off of the Third Kazekage. The 'Bringer-of-Illusions' technique…With it, Sasori had his own little world which only he could control and only he could enter…Even if it was fake…

-x-

Twenty Six Years Old

Sasori didn't really know what to think of the girl who stood opposite him. Zetsu stood next to her, looking at the red head calmly. "**This is your new Akatsuki partner. Leader was aware of the fact that you both knew each other, so he decided to give her to you rather than Kakuzu.**" The other personality of the plant gave a snicker. "Congratulations." Sarcasm.

The girl gave a slight frown at being made fun of, but she was too withdrawn to speak her distaste. Sasori tried to recall her name, but found that he couldn't remember it. She looked just the same as when he had seen her two years prior. Long brown hair that was now tied in a long low ponytail, flat chest, black eyes and a possibly thin body which was mostly hidden by her Akatsuki cloak. On her back was a katana, while on her forehead was now an Amegakure headband which had the symbol slashed out. An Ame-Salamander?

So first he had had to put up with a Konoha-Crow, and now this? What was next, an Iwa-Ant…?

Sasori could tell right away that this girl's skills were far weaker than his own, despite the fact that she was probably only a year or two younger than he was. Why the hell would Leader let someone of such average power join the Akatsuki? Was Pein that desperate, or did he just want Sasori to be punished? Probably the latter since Leader seemed to believe that it was the red head's fault that Orochimaru had left, when in truth, none of the Akatsuki knew why the snake had gone. The girl bowed to Sasori, giving another thank you for rescuing her two years ago.

"Again, I was just doing my job." Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave an annoyed sigh. "I've forgotten your name again. What was it?" The girl looked to Sasori and told him once more what it was. "Ah yes, Kurow, now I remember it. My own name is Sasori of the Red Sand."

"Well, now that you two are introduced," Zetsu gave a loud sigh of annoyance, "I have other stuff to do. Honestly, Leader over works us." The plant's other personality scoffed, "**No he doesn't; you are just lazy. But we really must be off.**" Sasori nodded Hiruko's head and Zetsu gave another sigh. "Now, play nice you two." With that said, the Akatsuki member seeped back through the flooring.

"…" There was a short awkward silence between the two acquaintances, before the girl gave another bow. "I am honoured to be your partner in Akatsuki…"

"I have a few rules." Kurow straightened up and gave a nod of acceptance. "Firstly, do not overly question me and my logic. Secondly, our relationship will under no circumstances advance beyond team-mates. Do not start arguments, you are allowed to talk but keep all chatting to a minimum. Do not touch me, make any rude or flirtatious remarks about my appearance, so on and so forth. Is that understood?" Kurow gave a quick nod in agreement, bowing once again at the red head. "And stop that; it is annoying."

"Sorry, Lord Sasori." Sasori sneered at the name, but found that it didn't bother him. "What is our first mission?" The red head gave a hum in thought, trying to remember what it was.

"We were to go to Iwagakure in order to hunt down a man with green hair who has been going around wearing an Akatsuki cloak. Once we find him, we are to kill him. Understood?" Kurow gave a simple quiet nod, seeming determined to prove her worth.

-x-

They arrived in Iwagakure without much hassle, and Sasori decided that he didn't require one of his Sleeper Agents for the mission. Mostly because both he and Kurow immediately caught sight of a poster that had an Akatsuki cloud on it. Sasori decided to follow the arrow on the piece of paper, hoping that it would lead to the nutcase that was wearing their cloak.

Children ran in the streets, laughing, while their mothers watched from afar with smiling faces. Sasori half recalled a memory of an Iwagakure girl that he had met long ago. He only remembered that her name had been Asuko because he had named his plant after the girl, but when he tried to imagine what she had looked like Sasori couldn't recall it. The red head had the nudging feeling that she had had long blonde hair, but that was the maximum that he could recall. Why the hell was he even thinking about her? Just because he had given her his bracelet, it wasn't like he was going to run into the woman. She was probably dead anyway.

-x-

They reached a building which had a crude Akatsuki cloud painted on the front, and Sasori took a wild guess that it was the place. Both he and Kurow entered the empty hallways, making their way straight for the door which read 'Sign up room'. Sasori simply used his scorpion tail to smash the wood open and they traipse inside. A man with bright green hair and a crude Akatsuki cloak sat at a large desk, looking up at them. He gave a smile when he saw them, folding his hands calmly. "Why hello there! Are you here to join Akatsuki? We're a mercenary group; I see that's you've already got the uniform!"

Sasori made Hiruko glare and he smashed the table in half. "You have been stealing our name." The man blinked and then realised what kind of trouble he was in.

"Shit! You're Sasori of the Red Sand!" He scrambled away until he was pressed against the wall. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to steal your name! I was just trying to gain your allegiance! Please, spare me!"

Sasori scoffed and looked over at Kurow. "Kill him already." She blinked in surprise and gave a quick nod, drawing the deadly katana from her back. For a few seconds it seemed as if she didn't know what to do with it, but Kurow made up her mind quickly.

She jumped over the wreckage which had once been a desk until she was standing in front of the man. He began to beg her not to kill him, but his pleas fell onto unhearing ears. She thrust the katana blade forward, stabbing him right through the mouth. Kurow turned the handle 180degrees and sliced it upwards, cutting the man's head in half.

Brain, skull fragments and blood splattered everywhere. Their mission was complete.

-o-

She was actually an alright partner, at least compared to my next one…Kurow did not break any of the rules I had set, wherein Deidara seemed to make it his life's goal to shatter my policies and then jump up and down on the fragments for extra measure…If only Kurow had not got in the way that one time; or if only Kabuto had become my official partner…

Oh! I haven't mentioned Kabuto as of yet, have I? Previously I stated that I had had three official Akatsuki cohorts, and one unofficial, right? Well, Kabuto was the name of the one which never became my professional partner. I wished he had, but by the time I was willing to accept him, Pein had already had a different idea of who my cohort should have been.

…I guess that I apologize for continuously interrupting the story with my useless inputs…I'll make up for it by skipping straight to 'The Accident'.

-x-

Twenty Seven Years Old

Sasori and Kurow had been on their way to Konohagakure, but had still been in River Country when they ran into trouble. "Oh, I finally found you!" Both Akatsuki stopped and turned around to face the enemy. Two Shinobi stood in the clearing with the duo, both wearing Sunagakure flak jackets and headbands. Sasori didn't recognise the Shinobi on the right…A boy with very short blond hair, a Suna forehead protector around his neck and a large scroll on his back. What interested Sasori the most, however, was the intricate green paint which he wore in his face. It was patterned with a swirl on each cheek, and five lines that went down from the top of his forehead to his brow…One of the Sunagakure Puppet Brigade…Interesting…

Then Sasori looked to the other familiar figure who he had first met when he had been only seven, "…Misaki Satomi…Or should I still refer to you as 'Sensei'?" The woman gave a laugh and clapped her hands together in an act that the red head easily recalled.

"Oh, either is fine!" She sighed and gave the red head her old grin, "This here is Kontororu; I guess you already know that he is from the Puppet Brigade. Anyway, both he and I have been assigned by the Fourth Kazekage to hunt you down and destroy you." Misaki gave a shrug and drew the Golden Thunder Staff from where it was still situated on her back. She looked almost the same, but she had clearly aged since Sasori had last seen the woman. Misaki was either in her late thirties or early forties by this point… "I actually liked you better when you were that red head." She shrugged and smirked once again at Sasori. "So what is this thing? A henge, or is it a puppet? Silly me, of course it's the latter~ I remember him…Hiruko, right?"

Misaki laughed in amusement, before looking over at the blond boy. Sasori finally noticed how young the kid looked; he was probably only between thirteen and sixteen…The red head could tell, however, that this was not Karura's son which he had seen when he had gone to Sunagakure seven years ago.

Definitely not. "I'm going to let him have the first go. It wouldn't be fair to drag him all this way and not let him, and one on one is so much more interesting. You hear that, girly?" Kurow gave a questioning noise, before looking at Sasori for an acceptable choice.

"Kurow, stay back and don't get involved unless I say otherwise. Got it?" The girl nodded and moved to the line of trees, prepared to jump into action if need be. Sasori made Hiruko look back at the boy, discarding the Akatsuki straw hat from the puppet's head. "Kontororu, wasn't it? I am Sasori of the Red Sand. Once a long time ago, I was also a part of the Puppet Brigade."

The boy gave a shaky nod and Sasori knew that the kid didn't even want to be there. "I know who you are…You made the most deadly puppets that Sunagakure has ever seen…But then you left because…You left because you couldn't handle all of the pressure…"

"What was that? Because I 'couldn't handle all of the pressure'? My, what a load of bull_shit _Sunagakure has drilled into you, boy. I left the village because I had nothing left to gain from living in that hellhole." Sasori thought for a few seconds, "…Show me who you have."

The boy blinked at the Akatsuki member before using a chakra thread to pull the scroll from his back. He opened it up and there was a large puff of smoke. Once it cleared a duo of very familiar puppets stood in front of Kontororu.

Cephalo and Phoenix.

Sasori gave a thoughtful hum, never considering the idea that the day might come where he was forced to face his own old creations. Puppets which he had put his soul into making…

They would be rather fun to destroy.

Sasori gave a laugh, opening up his own eyes as he dropped Hiruko's consciousness. "How sentimental…I guess this is supposed to be a traumatic battle against 'good' and 'evil', or something along those lines…But sorry, Kid, this isn't a story…The only fighting which exists is human against human…Well…" Sasori gave a sigh and lifted Hiruko's hatch, revealing himself from the confines, "Human against _half_ human seems more appropriate in my case…" The red head stood up so that all three figures could get a good look at him.

Kontororu only seemed slightly taken aback, having never even met the red head before. He faintly heard Kurow give a surprised gasp as her real 'Lord Sasori' was revealed, having not before had the privilege of seeing him outside of Hiruko. Misaki, however, seemed altogether unresponsive to it, simply clapping her hands together while wearing that stupid, insane smile of hers. "Well, this brings back good ol' times, does it not, Sasori?" And then she repeated the same statement she had spoken nineteen years prior. "Won't this be fun? Let the game begin!"

The red head gave a snicker and pulled out a scroll, summoning the single puppet from inside of it. There was a cloud of smoke and the last 'failure' within Sasori's oeuvre was revealed. The puppet that his past best friend had originally named 'Roan' stood within the clearing. "Yes, I think this will be fun game indeed."

Surely the child had heard of the scorpion puppet, for his face filled with a bewildered sense of awe. "Whoa…This is such an…An honour!"

Sasori gave sentimental sigh, attaching chakra threads to his puppet, "The feeling is mutual." He slowly blinked his brown eyes at the other puppeteer. For a split second, Kontororu had been replaced by a boy with blood red hair, crimson face-paint and a yearning for a cure to the loneliness which gripped his aching heart…

But then the child was gone, the figure reverting back to the blond.

Sasori couldn't help but give a sadistic smirk as the fight began.


	31. The Land of Apples Part Two

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-One

The Land of Apples Part Two

Sasori waited for Kontororu to make the first move. The puppeteer automatically sent Phoenix into the air and Cephalo underground. Sasori gave a hum of thought, knowing exactly what to do to defeat his own old creations. Cephalo was better suited to the loose desert sands rather than this fairly solid terrain. Sasori dropped the puppet strings held by his right hand, his left still controlling Roan, and he began to tap his foot as if in impatience. He listened carefully to the sound of the ground, closing his eyes in concentration. Tap…Tap…Tap…Tap…_Tap_.

There.

Sasori pumped chakra into his feet and leapt high into the air. He did a forward flip and sent the tip of Roan's scorpion tail into the ground where he had just been standing. There was a loud cracking noise and Kontororu gasped as the puppet which the red head had built when he was six was destroyed. Sasori landed with his feet on Roan's tail and he jumped back up into the air, higher than before. He let go of all of his puppet strings and took a quick look around.

Sure enough, his keen eyes easily spotted the disguised bird puppet, smirking to him self. Sasori attached chakra strings to Phoenix and swung beneath the marionette. Just as he had planned, Kontororu activated the flamethrowers in the puppet's claws, trying to hit Sasori. The red head barely managed to dodge the fire, swinging him self into the air with his cloak slightly singed. He landed right on the centre of the scorpion logo which Sasori had painted on Phoenix's back far too long ago.

The red head looked down at the ground to see that Roan had not been so lucky in avoiding the flames. Sasori watched as the puppet caught on fire and started to burn. Perfect.

The red head made a few hand signs and then placed his palms on the red marking's of Roan's back. "Secret Red Technique: Demon Grip." A dark visible presence suddenly surrounded Phoenix, severing Kontororu's puppet strings. The marionette abruptly halted in midair and began to fall to the ground, right towards Roan. Sasori quickly jumped off of the puppet, landing on a nearby tree branch. He listened to the sound of the marionettes colliding and the red head heard the fire flare.

Sasori straightened up and turned around, looking downwards at the devastation. Phoenix and Roan were both rapidly burning, speedily turning into ash while Cephalo was broken beneath the ground. He looked over at Kontororu, who had gone strangely pale. "That…You…You're unreal…"

The red head smirked and gave a chuckle, "I assure you that I am indeed real. Unfortunately, _you_ won't be for much longer." Sasori attached chakra strings to the boy and took control of his body. Kontororu gave a sharp gasp and began to fight against Sasori's strings, but he was no match against the Master Puppeteer. The red head gave an almost sad sigh and walked the boy forward. Kontororu saw Sasori's intentions and began to struggle with every ounce of strength he possessed.

The red head rolled his eyes at how futile the child fought and he decided to end his suffering. Sasori made the puppeteer walk straight into the fire. Kontororu's screams filled the air as the flames began to eat away at his flesh. Sasori continued to keep his strings attached to his victim until they abruptly stopped responding.

The red head gave a satisfied sigh and released his chakra threads, watching the scene for a few more seconds. Sasori looked over at the brunette woman who hadn't moved from the spot where she had been waiting for the fight to be over. Misaki smiled up at Sasori, seeming to be absolutely uncaring to the fact that Kontororu was now dead.

"My Sasori," she gave a quick laugh, "it's such a shame that you left Sunagakure. One as heartless as your self would have made the perfect Shinobi. You really take after you Sensei~" Misaki gave a laugh and grinned at the red head. Sasori slowly blinked at her and positioned his palm to face the still roaring fire. He activated the water-jet within his hand and put out the blaze, deciding that Hiruko was too close, and Sasori didn't want the puppet catching on fire as well.

The red head leapt out of the tree, landing in the clearing. He straightened up and looked at the brunette, giving a smirk. "Your turn Misaki _Sensei_." The woman gave a laugh and tapped her Golden Thunder Staff on the ground, the symbols on it flaring with chakra.

"I'm going to see how much you remember about me, Sasori." She smirked at him and threw her staff into the air. Misaki made several quick hand-signs which the red head eerily recognised. "Lightning and Wind Release: Twirling Lightning Storm."

Sasori sneered and then remembered his partner, "Kurow; whatever you do, don't move." The red head didn't hear her concur but he knew that she agreed with what he said. There was boom of ominous thunder through out the air, and the staff came back down. Misaki grabbed it and began to spin the weapon ferociously.

The red head stood perfectly still, ceasing his habit of blinking. Sasori watched as lightning began to shoot from the staff, uncontrolled until wind began to swirl around it. The gust made the lightning cluster together and gave it the form of a Raiton tiger. Sasori watched as the creature gave a roar, radiating a light which could blind a normal person. The red head was unaffected by it, however, and simply watched as the creature searched for prey. Fortunately Sasori had learnt long ago that the thing could only sense movement, and if one were to remain completely still then it wouldn't be able to see them.

So after what seemed like an eternity, the creature gave an annoyed growl and simply disappeared back into the staff. Sasori looked over at Kurow for a few seconds, just to make sure that she was still alive. Luckily she was, although her face was deathly pale and her eyes were clenched shut.

The red head looked back to Misaki who was ostentatiously spinning her staff with a smirk on her face. "Very good; I see that I trained you well." She gave a laugh and stopped spinning the pole, pointing the bladed end at Sasori. "Now, enough of these games. Let us really begin."

The red head gave a slight chuckle and activated the seal in the right sleeve of his Akatsuki cloak. A scroll appeared out of it and fell into his hand. "Very well; let's play." He opened the paper, revealing that the kanji for the number three was painted on the inside of it. Sasori summoned his best puppet from inside of the scroll, giving a smirk. The Third Kazekage floated at Sasori's back, ready to defend the red head at a moment's notice. Misaki still did not give much of a surprised reaction, though her expression faded into a calm disposition.

"Well now, haven't we been the busy one? What a surprise; this is definitely some information worth taking back to Sunagakure. I'm sure that after I kill you they will have a celebration to honour me. Hmmm…How do you like the name 'Misaki the Lightning Goddess'?" She gave a sly smirk at Sasori, "I think that it has a nice ring to it."

The red head gave her a slightly irritated look, remembering just how snarky the woman was. "Enough of this; we already agreed to begin."

Misaki gave a shrug, still smirking, "Just as impatient as ever, Sasori. Very well, let us begin." She jumped into the air and immediately swung the blade of the staff at Sasori. He took control of Jishaku and sent him forward, revealing the giant poisonous blades from within the puppet's sleeves. Both the Third Kazekage's weapons and Misaki's staff collided, sending them equally back a bit. The woman landed with her feet vertically on a tree trunk, using chakra to keep her from falling. She smirked and threw her staff into the air, making several hand signs. "I'll skip straight to my most powerful technique. Lightning and Wind Release: Path of Lightning!"

She leapt into the air and grabbed the staff before tossing it once again. This time it reached the heavens themselves. There was a boom of thunder and a dark cloud began to seep out of the Golden Thunder Staff. It grew in intensity until it blocked the entire sky above the battleground. Lightning clapped and the cloud began to spew forth rain onto the scene. Sasori and the other two Shinobi quickly became soaking wet, but it did little to divert them from the fight. Misaki's staff came back down and she easily caught the weapon, giving a smirk.

"Now, watch and die!" She jumped slightly and slammed the blade of her weapon against the ground in Sasori's direction. He barely managed to dodge the lightning bolt which came down to strike him, quickly moving to the side until it only missed him by a metre. The red head sneered at the technique and decided that he'd need the Kazekage's secret weapon in this fight. He made a dog hand-seal, and the puppet's mouth opened. Iron Sand seeped out of its orifice, beginning to float in the air around Jishaku. Misaki gave a loud laugh of amusement, twirling her staff. "You really are amazing! I should have killed you when you were still a stupid little Genin!"

She slammed the blade of her staff on the ground once again, sending another bolt of lightning down at Sasori. He used the Iron Sand to successfully absorb the attack and decided that he was sick of the fight. "I'm going to waste some chakra, but it'll be worth it. You are one of the most twisted Shinobi I have ever met. Sensei…" Sasori gave a smirk and made another dog hand sign; "You're going to make a very _fun_ puppet. Iron Sand World Order."

The powder buzzed and morphed into two giant shapes that suddenly smashed together. Iron Sand spread everywhere in a web of metal spikes. Sasori watched the devastation that unfolded before him. Trees groaned as they were struck, collapsing with a wild grunt. Misaki, however, managed to dodge. She avoided the metal spikes skilfully, leaping from side to side with inbuilt grace.

"Just die already!" One scratch from the Iron Sand could kill, as the red head had soaked it in his poison, and yet the woman was able to avoid his attacks. She succeeded in dodging all of the Iron Sand, but even she wasn't able to get out of the way of the tree that came tumbling down due to the red head's attack. Sasori watched as her leg became snagged on a branch and she disappeared beneath the trunk as it fell with a crash.

"LORD SASORI!" The red head blinked and looked over at Kurow, his eyes habitually widening with surprise.

Her cloak had been sliced off and now lay in tatters around her feet. She was holding onto her side, with crimson blood pooling out between her fingers. The red head had forgotten about her entirely and he hadn't told her to go within the safety range of the attack, such as where Sasori stood. There was no use in trying to save the girl; the poison which he had soaked the Iron Sand in would kill her in a few seconds anyway. The rain ran down her face like tears, and she gave the red head a pleading look to put her out of her misery. And yet, Sasori simply watched the girl as she painfully died. Her eyes eventually dulled and Kurow collapsed to the ground, finally dead.

Sasori watched, slightly irritated; dammit, now he would have to get a _new_ partner.

The red head gave a sigh and looked up at the rain cloud, deciding to go view his prize. Sasori traipsed over to the fallen tree, climbing up onto the trunk and viewing over the side. Misaki's lower half was crushed beneath the tree, and though she was still alive, her face was distorted in pain. Oh well; Sasori could easily fix the woman's legs when he converted her into a puppet. Her staff was still in her right hand, but it had been snapped in half.

"So Sensei, how does it feel to have your own student out do you?" The red head smirked down at her sadistically, giving a slight chuckle. "You're going to make a very interesting puppet, Misaki Sensei."

She looked up at Sasori, managing to give him a pained smirk in return, "Like hell I will…You know that I'm _proud _of you, and of what you have become…Always have been, you freak~" Raindrops ran across her face, but the usual insanity had vanished from her eyes. They were now wistful and glazed, as if she were not looking directly at the red head. In her gaze, the male above her was replaced by that naïve little seven year old that had died too long ago. "Goodbye Sasori Yoshiko; I hope you burn in hell right next to me." The red head quickly jumped out of the way as she abruptly swung the one half of her staff which she still clutched, hitting it against the wood with a loud bang.

The thunder boomed and a bolt of lightning crackled down, sharper than any blade could be. It struck the spot where Misaki Sensei lay helplessly trapped beneath the tree. All Sasori could do was watch as the woman purposely killed herself and destroyed her body just so Sasori could not convert her into a work of art.

Sasori sneered in resentment, eyes widening maniacally and the rain stopped falling. "You _**BITCH**_! What is it with you women?" He repeated the same line that he had once told Karura. "You all just love to do completely pointless things!" Dammit, he had gone through the whole trouble of the fight with Misaki and the puppeteer kid with absolutely nothing to show for it! Not to mention his partner had been killed as well, and- …Wait…His partner had been killed…

The red head blinked and his temper slowly ebbed as he walked over to the body of Kurow where she still lay crumpled on the ground. Torn pieces of Akatsuki cloak lay around her, and blood pooled at her waist. Sasori crouched down and grabbed her right hand, pulling the Akatsuki ring from her index finger.

She would make an acceptable puppet.

-x-

Sasori was currently in Hologram form - inside of Hiruko - getting 'scolded' at by Akatsuki's Leader. "This is unfortunate…" The red head was about to talk, but Pein spoke once more. "And it was your poison that killed her?" Sasori agreed without hesitation, and Leader narrowed his eyes at him. "That is the second partner that you have lost, Sasori, and unlike Kakuzu, you have no excuse. You are to change the poison you use into one which has a longer period of time before it kills, and you are also to concoct an antidote for it. That is an order." Sasori inwardly sneered, but he had no choice but to agree. Leader could be brutal if he wanted to be. "I shall not make your punishment too formidable, but expect an increase in the amount of missions which are assigned to you. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Sasori nodded Hiruko's head and the lecture was almost over. Pein simply went on to state that the red head and the rest of the Akatsuki would keep their eyes open for a suitable partner for Sasori. The meeting between the two organisation members was finally over.

So he had to come up with a new poison? Hmmm...

-o-

I stick by the fact that Leader only let Kurow join the Akatsuki so that he could punish me for Orochimaru leaving. Just like how I am also suspicious that the girl's death was the same reason why Deidara became my partner, though he was also more of a gift…A sign that Leader had forgiven me for Orochimaru.

So, I made several gains and losses in the battle between myself and the two Sunagakure Shinobi. I lost Roan and destroyed two of my old puppets, but this was more of a positive outcome. Now the only four significant people left from my childhood were Chiyo, Yashamaru, Pakura and Takeo…Although both Yashamaru and Pakura had already been dead by the time I was twenty-seven, but I was oblivious to this at the time. So the only real two I had left from my childhood were Takeo who had become the Fourth Kazekage - but he died when I was thirty-two anyway – and Chiyo. I outlived all of them…

Well…Except technically Chiyo, but I had managed to poison her before my death, and she did die shortly after I did. They all died either directly or indirectly because of my existence…

Some positives were that I had gained the new puppet of Kurow, and I had also achieved a goal that I had set when I had been eight years old. Misaki Sensei had said that she was proud of me. If I had been a few years saner, then I may have actually cared.

-o-

Twenty-Eight Years Old

Sasori was on his way to a temple in the Land of Rain, having received a request from Pein to meet him there. He apparently had an S-Rank mission which was of extremely high regards, and Sasori needed to be debriefed in person.

-x-

The red head made it to the temple, entering through the open doorway. Both Pein and Konan stood inside, waiting for him. Sasori looked at the only constant female member of the Akatsuki, having not seen her other than a hologram in a few long years. She had dark blue hair, an Akatsuki cloak, bright amber eyes, a lip piercing, and a paper rose in her hair. Konan specialised in origami techniques and she possessed a rather stoic disposition.

"Sasori," Pein straightened up at the sight of Hiruko, "we have a highly classified mission for you, and I am allowing an inter-duo partnership for this mission. Konan has agreed to be your cohort for this operation, understood?" Of course Sasori agreed; he didn't really have any other options. "Very good." Said woman gave the red head a simple nod, continuing her stolid facial appearance. "This mission has been requested by the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure. Due to your vast collection of puppets, and your ability to control them, I have decided that you best suit the requirements for this operation. Konan shall debrief you on the way to your destination. Understood?"

"Yes sir, understood." Sasori nodded Hiruko's head and Konan traipsed forward calmly. The red head liked the girl, as he envied her coldness and her emotionless nature. Her stolidness was the epitome of what Sasori wished he could be like.

"Let us be off." She spoke softly, but there was a hidden power which loomed at the back of her voice. They both turned and exited the temple, leaving Pein to his own duties. Konan began to explain the operation as they walked; keeping her voice at a rather level tone which only slightly fluctuated in pitch. "We are to go to the Land of Fire in order to find a port on the South-Eastern shore that charters boats to our destination. Our mission is located in the Land of Apples; I am aware that you have visited once before."

"Yes, I travelled to the Apple Country eight years ago with Orochimaru to assassinate the fruity Daimyo." Sasori continued to make Hiruko lumber ever forward, Konan traipsing beside him. "But what is our mission?"

The blue haired girl gave a small hum made of a single monotone and she slowly blinked her amber eyes. "We are to destroy the Land of Apples and to leave not a single survivor; that is our mission."


	32. Paper and Puppets

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Two

Paper and Puppets

The duo was currently on a boat, headed for the Land of Apples; the nation they would soon destroy. They stood at the bow of the ship - looking out towards the approaching country - where Konan and Sasori were discussing how they were going to take down the entire nation. "I am able to control a total of 150 puppets at a time, but I am only able to view out the eyes of a maximum of ten without losing awareness of my self. Last time I tried, it took two days until I was able to return to my body."

"Pein and I are very much aware of this," she slowly blinked her eyes, "that is why I was allocated to join you on this mission. I shall act as your eyes."

-x-

Sasori and Konan were on a cliff which overlooked Toketsuho and its jungle of apple trees. "In order to guide you, we shall have to set up chakra seals around the area." The red head gave a nod and opened Hiruko's hatch, getting to his feet. Konan looked at his real self without any particular interest. "We shall strike when the moon is at its highest point within the sky."

He nodded and stepped out of Hiruko, looking around the area. "Very well; let's start making these seals."

-x-

The red head sat within Hiruko, but with the hatch open and his cloak pooled around his waist, revealing his puppet body in all its glory. He had made several adjustments to it within the years, including a pair of folding blades on his back and a small scroll holder. This contained four scrolls, including one which held 140 of his puppets for the performance he would be giving tonight, one contained fire, one consisted of water, and the fourth held his ten best puppets - not including Hiruko or Jishaku. The two element scrolls worked in tandem with the jets in his palms, and he was able to fire any of the two elements from said jets.

Konan stood a few metres off, waiting for the moon to climb to a higher position. It was only half full, but it gave enough light. "We shall begin in a few minutes."

"If you say so." Sasori looked around at the chakra seals; they we already burning, revealing that they were both signs of protection and connection. Only Konan and Sasori would be able to get pass through the ring. He was pulled away from his thoughts as the woman once again spoke.

"The time is upon us; let's begin." Konan closed her eyes and stretched her hands out. The red head watched as pieces of the woman began to peel away from her in a rather odd display. Parts of her body began to furl and twirl into the air, turning into mere sheets of crisp paper and soon the woman completely disappeared, replaced by the swirling pieces of powder white squares. The red head decided that it was his cue to perform his own technique.

Sasori used a chakra string to pull the scroll from his back and he moved it into the air, unrolling it. He activated the seals on the scroll and used his free hand to open the hatch on the right side of his chest. Sasori poured chakra into the many small columns in the compartment, sending puppet strings to reach into the scroll. Each thread pulled out a marionette, until all 140 hung in the night air above them. "Secret Red Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets." The puppet's consisted of the rest of his best and although the marionettes were not constructed for teamwork, their sheer numbers could easily overwhelm any opponent.

The papers began to morph and fold themselves until each sheet became a white origami butterfly. They fluttered in the air, twirling around Sasori's puppets with complex grace. One by one, each paper insect landed on one marionette until every single puppet had a butterfly on its forehead. Sasori watched as the paper bugs seeped into the dolls until the only trace of Konan was a single paper butterfly, which fluttered down to the red head. It made a few graceful circles around Sasori, until it landed carefully on the bridge of his nose.

It fluttered its wings a few times before opening them completely. The paper blocked the red head's vision, but he carefully watched as the blank sight changed. 140 small images slowly appeared, similar in appearance to a series of miniature windows, each screen revealing the sight of each of his puppets, and for the first – and last - time in his life, he could view out of their visions all at once. Sasori just somehow _knew_ which image was for which marionette. Konan's voice sounded within his head, telling him that it was time. The red head mentally agreed and the war began.

Sasori sent half of the puppets to Toketsuho, while the others were sent to different parts of the nation; he planned to do a thorough job. Marionettes were dispersed to ports to kill the people and to destroy all of the ships, others were sent to smaller villages to wipe out citizens there.

The slaughter had already started.

Sasori killed everyone who his puppets laid eyes upon. Men, women, children; everyone. The blood of the guilty and the innocent became mixed until there was no difference. They were all mortal, and so they had to die.

-x-

Hiruko lurched down the streets of Toketsuho with Sasori safely inside, looking around at the devastation. Konan was still in her origami butterfly form, scattering out across the nation to be sure that all were dead and that the job was done. The red head had already resealed his puppets, only twenty-six having been broken beyond repair. Sasori was currently scouring the remains of Toketsuho to make sure that all were dead.

Human bodies were slung everywhere, many with hacked off limbs and some with only small wounds. For this mission he had used the last of his old poison, having been saving it for something important.

He had managed to make a brand new concoction, but he had not been able to form an antidote yet. This new poison would last for three days, and though it took a long time to actually kill his opponent, the pain which it caused could paralyse its prey almost instantly. It was a heavy metal based toxin that was designed to attack muscle and cell tissue. Eventually it would cause the heart the grow far too weary until the victim simply died due to the organ collapsing.

Sasori was cut off from his thoughts as he heard someone give a battle cry and a series of foot steps running towards him. The Akatsuki member looked to see a boy wielding a splintery stake. Sasori guessed that he was hallucinating about the boy's appearance, because the child looked extremely similar to his sixteen year old body. He easily used Hiruko's tail to stab a hole right through the red headed boy's chest, immediately killing him.

A few seconds passed and Sasori let the red head's body collapse to the ground, retracting Hiruko's tail…He looked at the male for a few seconds, frowning to him self and opening up the puppet's hatch. He stepped curiously out of Hiruko and walked over to the body, blinking down at it. This was no hallucination; the child really did look like him…

Apple red hair, dead brown eyes, about the same age as Sasori was when he had converted his own body…This kid was like his doppelganger…He unprofessionally nudged the body with his foot, giving a slight smirk; this would make an excellent puppet to have in his collection, especially if he was ever in need of a spare body for his heart capsule. Sasori walked back over to Hiruko and sat down inside with the boy across his lap. He closed the hatch and continued searching for survivors, but found that - by some miracle - this kid had been the only one.

Eventually Konan reappeared in a swirl of paper butterflies. They merged together and Sasori watched as the woman was reformed from mere sheets of flat white paper. "I could not detect any survivors; were there any that you found here?"

"Just one and I already took the liberty of killing him. He will make a nice new puppet." Konan gave a nod and looked around.

"You can travel to the nearby Land of Water in order to find a proper ship to the mainland. Are you able to travel across the ocean with your own skill?" Sasori nodded Hiruko's head, and Konan simply nodded back. "Very good, I shall leave you to yourself then and I will tell Pein of our success. Is that all?"

"Yes, you may go now, Konan." She gave a simple nod and her body once more broke up into a series of small pieces of paper, scattering to the west as if by the wind. Sasori watched them disappear, and gave a sigh of mild irritation. "Figures; I have to find my own way back to the mainland…Oh well, I have a long walk ahead of me."

-x-

"**Sasori,** " the figure of Zetsu stood in front of the puppet, currently giving him his next mission, "**Itachi has finally proven himself worthy of being an Akatsuki member and he has left Konohagakure.** " The thirteen year old had actually murdered the entire Uchiha Clan; his own clan. Sasori had been somewhat impressed by such a heartless deed; the kid really did belong in the organisation. "**You are to meet him at the temple where you met him three years ago, and then take him to a port in the River Country. The place is called Shark Bay and Kisame is currently on a mission within a nearby area, so he has agreed to meet Itachi there. Got it?** "

"Yeah, I got it." Sasori nodded Hiruko's head at the plant-man.

"Oh," Zetsu's other personality spoke out, "Leader also told us to give you this. We forgot to give it to Kisame when Orochimaru left." The white half of the Akatsuki member held out their hand, and Sasori took the offered trinket. "Give this to Itachi. He deserves it." The man gave a laugh and, without further to do, disappeared into the floor.

-x-

The red head had gone to the temple to find Itachi already there. He was dressed in his Akatsuki uniform and he looked around as soon as Sasori entered the temple. As they made eye contact, the red head got the same feeling he had three years prior, but even worse. Itachi already knew all of his secrets and the child's crying was once again droning in his head.

Sasori was suddenly no longer in Hiruko. He was in a pitch black room. The red head looked around, until he noticed the source of the crying. A small boy of five years old was crouched in a ball, weeping and yelling out all his woes. There was no colour, and all the child was made up of was a pure white outline. Even without seeing the colourations of the boy, Sasori knew that it was his inner self. He cried unceasingly, wanting to be freed from the sin and darkness that had corrupted him. Sasori watched as the white outlined child continued to weep

Crying was the only thing that the child knew.

The red head slowly looked away, and as he did so, Sasori returned to the real world. Itachi deactivated his Sharingan, revealing the plain black eyes beneath. "Hello Sasori." The Uchiha traipsed forward to Hiruko, slowly blinking at him, "…May I possibly see your true self? Truthfully, I have been rather curious as to what you actually look like underneath this thing."

"No." The red head made Hiruko glare at Itachi. Sasori may have been polite to the elder members, but this Uchiha was _not_ his superior.

"Very well, I don't wish to cause a fight. Shall we go?" Hey…This kid was actually alright…

"I know that you had something to do with Orochimaru leaving the Akatsuki…If you tell me exactly what happened, then I will reveal my self to you." The snake had been escorting the Uchiha just before he had left, so this kid must have had a part to play in it.

"Very well, that is a fair trade." Itachi gave a slow, stoic blink, remembering back to three years prior. "Orochimaru and I were on our way to Konoha when he tried to attack me. I locked him in a genjutsu and partially cut off one of his arms; he then disappeared. I believe that he was trying to gain my body due to the fact that I have the Sharingan."

"…That does sound like Orochimaru. He once tried to take my own body, until he found out…" Sasori opened Hiruko's hatch, revealing his true self to the Uchiha; his sixteen year old appearance, his blood red hair, and his calm brown eyes. He looked up simply at the Uchiha, and both slowly blinked at one another. "Until he found out that I'd already used my body beyond what he believed to be 'useful' to him. Our partnership was never quite the same after that." Sasori shrugged his shoulders aloofly, before blinking once again at the Uchiha. "This is my true form; I might look sixteen, but I'm actually twenty-eight years old."

"…" Itachi reactivated his Sharingan and examined Sasori, probably seeing whether or not it was a henge. After a few seconds, his eyes once again turned pitch black as his curiosity was satisfied, and he gave a simple nod. "Thank you for showing me. It's interesting…"

Sasori rolled his eyes, and actually gave a smirk, "That's what everyone says~" The red head rummaged around in the inner compartment of Hiruko, pulling out the small trinket that Zetsu had given to him. "And this is for you; Itachi Uchiha, welcome to the Akatsuki. Wear this ring on your right ring finger." The male took the accessory from Sasori, looking down at it with interest. It was blood red and had the kanji for 'scarlet' written on it. "Good, now let's go deliver you to Kisame." Hiruko's hatch closed with a satisfied snap.

-x-

They reached the end of the wharf, but there was no sign of Kisame just yet. Both Akatsuki members looked into the water, watching as several sharks swum about without distress; no wonder the place was called Shark Bay. "This is the place…Kisame should be here soon enough." Itachi nodded and sat down on the edge of the wharf, one foot pressed against his body on the dock, the other hanging off the side. Lucky for him that there was a good four or five metre's between his leg and the hungry sharks below.

"Thank you for escorting me, Sasori…Truthfully, I was quite concerned that you would try something similar to Orochimaru." He looked down at the sharks below, completely unnerved by the carnivorous creatures. "I've heard of you…I think almost everyone has; during the Third Shinobi World War, you left Sunagakure. You were a highly rumoured topic at the time as well; stories of a demon, born from the blood of a corrupt god who sought world domination…A creature that stole people's souls and then turned their bodies into puppets for an army. Only after the war did Sunagakure admit that you had left, and only a few days after our last meeting did I recall the tales and realise who you were." Itachi gave a simple shrug, closing his eyes calmly, "So when Leader notified me that you were going to escort me this time, I was half expecting you to try to kill me and then you'd try to turn me into a puppet."

Sasori gave a humourless chuckle, looking down at the sharks with distaste. "I don't blame you; in fact, the first thing I did when my last partner died was convert her body into a puppet. But I wouldn't be so worried about it; I do have a few puppets I made long ago with Sharingan, but I am unable to use the technique anyway…Kisame is rather friendly, as long as you're an ally, that is; he has a good sense of humour, though quite macabre…" Itachi gave a simple nod, continuing to watch the dangerous waters that swelled below.

"Hey!" Sasori turned around to look to the source of the voice, but the Uchiha didn't bother to take his eyes from the water. "Thanks for looking after the pup, Sasori, but I'll be taking him off your hands now." Kisame was walking along the dock towards them, looking the same as ever with grin in place.

"Very well, it was nice to meet you, Itachi, and again, welcome to the Akatsuki." Sasori turned Hiruko around and began to walk back down the pier, saying goodbye to Kisame as they passed by one another. "Don't mentally scar him too much."

The shark gave a laugh, but Sasori had already reached the end of the dock, once again crossing dry land. He faintly heard the two Akatsuki members start talking to one another, but he made a note not to eavesdrop. So Itachi Uchiha was now an official member of the Akatsuki…

-x-

Twenty-Nine Years Old

It was one of the rare times when Sasori wasn't currently on a mission. Business had been unusually high lately, and Leader was still rather unimpressed by Sasori's bad luck with partners. The red head wondered whether Pein worked Kakuzu just as hard…

Sasori sighed and continued walking down the dark streets of an unimportant Fire Country village. There were no lights on as all of the townsfolk were already asleep. Or so the red head had wished. "Stop." Sasori halted Hiruko and turned him around to face the unknown voice. There was a figure wearing a greyish blue cloak with the hood pulled up to cover their face. "I have been tracking you for days now; you're Sasori of the Red Sand."

The red head gave a sigh, both slowly and threateningly moving Hiruko's tail to hang in the air, as if about to strike. "That I am. Now state your business; I don't like to be kept waiting."

The cloaked figure gave a nod, and gulped. "I wish for you to train me in the art of medical ninjutsu. I am aware that at Sunagakure, you were highly revered within your age group for having such a diverse knowledge of medical techniques."

"So what if I was? I don't have the kind of time to train you."…Then again, Sasori _was_ searching for a new partner… "Reveal yourself and state your name."

"Of course…" The figure moved their hands to the rim of their hood, pulling down the obscuring article to reveal their self to Sasori. It was a male of about seventeen years old with a Konohagakure headband. His hair was grey and tied back in a ponytail, but with a small fringe hanging on each side of his face. One of the most notable features, however, was the pair of glasses that had perfectly circular black frames. "It is nice to meet you, Lord Sasori." The male gave a polite bow and repositioned his glasses once he straightened up. "My name is Kabuto Yakushi."

-?-

_Tsk…Such a stupid little mouse…I wish Sasori had killed him then, but at least that bastard never become an Akatsuki member…If my man hadn't have been so paranoid and so cautious about partners, then I may have never become a member in the Akatsuki; or I may have ended up partnered with Kakuzu, which would have been more of a death sentence…_

_Oh, you haven't met me yet! Don't worry~_

_Soon you'll get to know me very well…You and Danna will get to know me **very** well indeed~_


	33. Red, Grey and Blue

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Three

Red, Grey and Blue

"Kabuto Yakushi?" Sasori scoffed at the weird name, "Why do you want my training? Don't you know that I have a habit of turning people who annoy me into puppets?" Kabuto simply nodded and the red head gave a hum. "What previous training have you had?"

"My adopted father was a Konoha medical-nin. He trained me in the art of medical ninjutsu…But I want to surpass all the others in Konoha, and I can only do that with your training…" Kabuto got down on one knee, bowing his head. "Teach me or kill me."

Sasori didn't know whether to be perplexed or accepting of the seventeen year old's words and wishes. He reminded the red head of himself and the lengths that he had gone to gain power. Both of them had wanted to be the best. "…" He gave a sigh and retracted his scorpion tail. "In the nearby woods is a small river; meet me at the point where it diverts into two at midday tomorrow if you wish for my teachings."

With that said Sasori turned and moved off, leaving the Konoha-Crow to himself.

-x-

It was two months after they had first met, and Kabuto had proved to be a genius within the art of medical ninjutsu. He was one of the most intelligent people that Sasori had ever had the pleasure to meet. Kabuto was currently cleaning his scalpels in the nearby river as Sasori always instructed him to wash his medical tools after use, telling him that if he didn't keep them clean, the blades would go dull in no time. While at first, Kabuto had been rather annoyed by this act - though he didn't voice any complaints - he eventually grew to almost like having to clean the utensils afterwards.

"Now, let's see how you are going on the Mystic Palm Technique at a distance." Sasori had decided not to teach Kabuto the Tender Touch Technique, as that was a Jutsu which he believed should be kept to the puppet master alone. The prodigy put away his tools and traipsed over to the carved up body, looking down at it. He held his hands out a metre above it and tried to heal the wound from the distance. It was a technique which had taken even Sasori three years to learn, plus an additional two more just to perfect the Jutsu.

It involved manipulating one's chakra to reach the wounded area, and it had helped that Sasori had been manoeuvring his chakra ever since he had been five. For Kabuto, despite his intelligence, it would probably take longer than five years. Sure enough, the male was unable to cure the wound from such a distance. "…Sorry, Lord Sasori…But I still can't reach it."

"That's alright; the technique even took me several years to perfect." Sasori lifted Hiruko's hand into the air and sent chakra through it. Despite there being an almost three metre distance between the red head and the body, he was able to easily heal the gaping wound of the body. Kabuto watched with an almost frustrated interest, but he simply nodded.

-x-

Thirty Years Old

Kabuto now went almost everywhere with Sasori - even on missions. The red head was seriously thinking about making him his new partner in the Akatsuki. He certainly had the skill to be a member of the organisation…But the reason that he hadn't asked Pein about it was because he wanted to be sure that Kabuto wouldn't do an Orochimaru, and also wouldn't die on him. Sasori and Kabuto had just completed a mission on assassinating an important leader from a village in Takigakure, when Zetsu appeared before them. Kabuto had already met the Akatsuki member on several occasions, so he was not at all taken aback by him.

"See? I told you that he'd have the mouse with him!" The plant-man's other personality gave an annoyed sigh of irritation, "**Shut up already…Anyway, Sasori…Leader has a special mission for you. Kabuto has been restricted from going with you on this operation; understood?**" They both gave a nod; occasionally the boy would be unable to go on certain covert operations. "**For this mission you are to meet Itachi and Kisame at a tea shop on the border of the Fire Country.** **Kabuto can be taken with you before the rendezvous, but he is not to go along on the mission. Understood?**"

They both agreed and Zetsu disappeared beneath the soil. Kabuto turned to Sasori, rasing an eyebrow at him. "What kind of mission do you think it is?"

The red head already began to make Hiruko move forward, "Only one way to find out."

-x-

They reached the designated tea shop before the other two Akatsuki members. "Return to Konohagakure whilst I am on this mission. They will get highly suspicious with you being away for long periods of time, and it has been almost two weeks since you've been home." Kabuto gave a nod, "I'll meet you at the Tenchi Bridge located in the Country of Grass in ten days time. Got it?"

"Of course, Lord Sasori; I'll be there on time. Thank you." With that said, Kabuto used the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sasori only had to wait a few minutes before Itachi and Kisame appeared, the latter not having changed at all over the past year. The Uchiha was now sixteen years old, and he had managed to grow taller since he last seen the red head. They reached Sasori and Kisame gave a cruel chuckle. "So how do you feel? Excited?"

The red head made Hiruko frown up at the shark-man, giving a confused sigh. "I don't know; should I be excited?"

Kisame burst out laughing and Itachi had to talk for the shark-man. "Did Zetsu tell you about the mission?" Sasori shook Hiruko's head, and the Uchiha slowly blinked down at him, unfazed. "We are to go to a Kusagakure temple to meet someone. Leader has selected him to be your new partner in the Akatsuki."

Huh?

"Why the hell does he want me to be their partner? I already have Kabuto, and I'm sure that Kakuzu doesn't have anyone at the moment – if he does, then give him a few days and then I'm sure the position will open again."

Itachi gave a simple shrug, slowly blinking his black eyes at Sasori. "The only free position in the Akatsuki is as your partner, and Leader does not wish to squander such a Shinobi on Kakuzu. He believes that this male's powers will be of use to us, and he believes that he has more potential than even Kabuto Yakushi does." Dammit. Knowing how much Pein disliked Sasori, he probably chose someone who would definitely get on his nerves…Just _great_…

-x-

They reached the temple and walked inside, finding it empty of any living figures. "We are to wait here for him; Leader's sources told us that the kid had been spotted in the area, and this seems to be a place that he would be most likely to visit." Sasori looked around the inside of the building, giving a slight hum. There were lots of statues of decorated men with their hands positioned in a tiger hand sign.

That was usually affiliated with fire…Sasori took another look around, frowning Hiruko's countenance. This temple seemed to belong in the Fire Country rather than the Grass Country… He didn't let his mind dwell too much on it, and they all tuned around to face the door as they heard footsteps. A child of probably fourteen years old calmly walked inside, looking around, half bored.

Stupid kid; what the hell was he doing entering the temple with the three Akatsuki members inside?

The male blinked at them, clearly curious as to their weird appearances. "Who the fuck are you?" He actually DARED to talk to them? Stupid vapid vacuous brat!

"We're here to offer you a job." Realisation struck the red head like a tonne of bricks - so hard that Sasori almost wanted to die from sheer embarrassment. THIS FUCKING KID WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS NEW PARTNER? Okay, Pein _**DEFINITELY**_ hated him. Kisame gave a chuckle, grinning at the kid, probably sensing the red head's distress.

"…" He raised an eyebrow up at them, tilting his head slightly to the side. "You look fucking weird." Sasori already hated the brat. The boy was fourteen and had long blonde hair - the most golden that Sasori had seen in a long time - with its end was tied in a low loose ponytail. Part of his locks covered his left eye, while his one visible orb was as blue as a forget-me-not flower. The boy's attire consisted of a teal robe, matching teal pants, and an Iwagakure headband that he wore on his forehead…Oh great…An Iwa-Ant.

Well…Now Sasori had a complete collection of partners; a Konoha-Crow, an Ame-Salamander and an Iwa-Ant…Just great…Just _FUCKING_ great…

Itachi gave a hum and the red head just remained silent, not wanting to accept the fact that this kid was his new partner. "We are from an organisation known as the Akatsuki."

The fourteen year old frowned at them, tilting his head back to its original position. "'Akatsuki'?" He sneered at them, somewhat annoyed. "What the fuck is that, un? Fuck off; I'm trying to take in the art here!"

Sasori finally found his voice, giving his own sneer. "Why the hell do I have to get stuck with this kid…? He's got spunk, but he's definitely going to die on us…He'll probably die young or turn traitorous; just like my other partners." Or the more likely possibility, Sasori was going to _KILL_ him.

Itachi gave a shrug and simply repeated the information he had told Sasori earlier. "Leader's orders; his abilities will be useful to us…Apparently…"

"Huh?" The kid was definitely a loud one… "You know about me, un? Who are you people…?" Okay, why the hell was the blonde even asking the same things over and over! They'd already told him that they were from the Akatsuki!

Okay; not only was he an idiot, he was a _dense_ idiot!

Kisame gave a hum; he was intelligent enough to ignore the kid's questions. "You've been cooperating with insurgents in the surrounding countries; acting as a terrorist and causing various explosions in important places. We want to know…What purpose are you trying to achieve now that you've left your village?"

Sasori realised what the shark-man was actually asking; it was the same thing that he had asked the red head five years ago. He wanted to know the blonde's reasoning for leaving his home, and why he'd join the Akatsuki. He was asking the boy what his goal in life was.

The kid raised an eyebrow at them and gave a snort of what was almost laughter. "Purpose? Don't fucking have one. People hire me to blow shit up, and I just fulfil their requests like a good little boy…With my sculptures, un!"

"…" Sasori gave the brat a questioning look with Hiruko's countenance. "Sculptures?" Why the hell was the kid talking in oxymorons? How could someone blow something up with a sculpture?

"BEHOLD!" The blonde lifted up his left hand, revealing a fat, clay insect thing. It wobbled slightly in his hand, as if unbalanced. "This is the result of combining highly detailed line-work and two-dimensional deformations, un!" He gave a prideful laugh, grinning widely at the Akatsuki members. "THIS IS TRUE ART, UN! BUT, OH, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING! Though they start out as simple models, MY ART LIVES! MY ART BREATHES, UN!" He took a moment of silence, as if to add suspense and emphasis to his next words. "MY ART EXPLODES!"

…Oh _fuck_…

"And in that short moment, it fulfils the vision of the fucking GREATNESS that inspired me to SHAPE IT! THAT EXPLOSIVE INSTANT IS THE ONLY POINT WHERE I CONSIDER IT BE TRUE ART, UN!" He lifted his right hand up, revealing that he actually had a _mouth _on the palm. The second mouth stuck its tongue out at them, as if goading on its owner, "BECAUSE ART…IS A BANG!"

Sasori gave a sigh of irritation, actually face-palming inside of Hiruko. What the hell was this kid's problem? Art was Eternal, and yet his view was the complete opposite. Was such a thing even possible? "…Yep; he's annoying…"

Kisame gave a yawn of disinterest, "Are you done yet?"

Itachi gave a sigh and took a step forward, "All right…That's enough; I'll fight him." Sasori almost wanted to thank the Uchiha. If the red head were to face him after that long speech, he would have made sure to kill the damn nuisance.

Sasori didn't need to see Itachi's face to know that he had activated his Sharingan for the fight. The blonde was already caught in the Uchiha's genjutsu; "You wanna fight, un?"

Itachi gave a hum, "If I win, you must join the Akatsuki." The Uchiha had already won the fight.

"DON'T YOU EVER…FUCKING UNDERESTIMATE MY ART! MY NINJUTSU IS THE VERY ESSENCE OF MY CREATIVITY, UN!" The blonde then began to attack the Itachi within the genjutsu. He threw the weird bug clay thing from earlier, flinging it over there heads and at the wall behind them. He made a half ram seal and then gave a proud smile, "KATSU!"

The thing made a gapping hole in the wall as it suddenly exploded, and once the dust had cleared, Itachi decided to move to stand in the gap. The blonde turned his head to the left, most likely following the Itachi within the genjutsu. It was awfully odd to watch someone who was locked in an illusion while you were unable to see the same visions that they saw.

There was the sound of wood breaking and Sasori watched as a clay-centipede-thing emerged from the floorboards. It curled up the blonde's leg and Sasori guessed that Itachi's genjutsu made the kid think that it was attacking the Uchiha rather than its owner. "That's all you fucking got, un?"

The centipede curled tightly around the blonde's body and he was just about to make the clay thing explode, when Itachi stopped him. "You'd better take a look at yourself before you do anything else." He cancelled the genjutsu and the blonde's eyes widened as he realised that the centipede was wrapped around him self instead.

Kisame gave a sigh of relief, "That was close…Another second and you would have gone from an artist to a suicide bomber…" He gave a small laugh of amusement at his 'joke'.

Sasori gave an annoyed sigh, wanting to beat his head against the inside of Hiruko, but knowing that he would find no satisfaction in the act. "I _told _you that he'd die on us." Dammit, he'd have a hard job keeping the brat alive…

"Genjutsu, un?" A bead of sweat ran down the blonde's cheek as he suspiciously looked at the head of his clay centipede that was now at his shoulder. "When did you…?"

Kisame grinned at the blonde and gave a laugh, "Right from the start; the exact moment you looked into Itachi's Sharingan, you were trapped in his illusion."

Sasori watched as light from the setting sun streamed through the gaping hole that the kid had made earlier. His hair shone in the intense light and the blonde was forced to momentarily close his eyes to guard them from the glaring sun. Slowly he reopened them until they were wide, and Sasori didn't need to turn to know that the kid was looking at Itachi. The red head could see the Uchiha's silhouette on the floor from the corner of his eyes, but the only thing which he really focused on was the blonde.

The golden light streaming on his facial structure, the gold gleaming in his eyes, the reflection off of his Iwagakure headband, and that stupid look of awe on that covered his face…

…Sasori had the sudden urge to turn the kid into a puppet…

The feeling was abruptly lost when the kid snapped out of it, giving a loud 'hmph' of annoyance. The centipede collapsed to the floor harmlessly as he brought his head down, clasping at his face with his right hand in disgust and Sasori noticed that the blonde was glaring at them from between his fingers.

Itachi's voice filled the room; "You lose."

The blonde gave a snort and wrenched his hand away from his face, sneering at them dangerously. His eyes were maniacally wide in utter rage, "FUCK YOU, UN! I NEVER AGREED THAT I'D JOIN YOU!" Out of anger, he sent the centipede thing lunging at them. Kisame gave a sigh and unslung Samehada from his back, swinging it against the creation. "THAT WON'T WORK, UN!" The kid laughed and made the half ram seal once again, "KATSU!"

There was a moment of silence, and nothing happened. The blonde blinked in confusion and gave an ever angrier expression as his creation dropped to the ground. Kisame's sword had absorbed all of the chakra from the clay, neutralizing it. The blonde was about to shove his hands into the two pouches at his sides, when Sasori decided that he had had enough of the kid.

He uncurled Hiruko's tail and in a flash he had wrapped it around the blonde, successfully pinning his arms against his body. The blonde struggled against him, but failed in freeing himself. "Shut up, brat! You think that I want you to be in the Akatsuki either?" Sasori gave the kid a good shake for extra measure. "Stop bitching about it, because I'm your partner whether you like it or not!"

The blonde was slightly dazed after being shaken like a rag doll, but he recovered quickly. He glared at the red head, trying to seem intimidating; he failed miserably. "LIKE FUCK I'D WANT SOME FUCKING OLD DEFORMED-" He was shut up as Sasori shook him once again.

"I hope you come with a mute button." Sasori sighed and once again he stopped shaking the kid, the latter finally settling for just glaring menacingly at the puppet – which generally failed since his face was still flushed with embarrassment. "Anyway brat, my name is Sasori of the Red Sand." The blonde just continued to silently glare at him. "…The polite thing to do would be to introduce your self in return…" The kid looked away from him with a sneer, and Sasori responded by painfully tightening his hold of the blonde.

He gasped in agony, but still refused to talk.

"Whoa Sasori, don't kill the kid already." The red head rolled his eyes and loosened his grip on the blonde, letting him breathe once more. Kisame gave a chuckle of amusement, looking to the boy. "If I were you kid, I'd tell Mr Grumpy here your name - unless you want to end up in his bad books…And his collection."

The blonde shot Kisame a glare, "Fuck off, un! ALL OF YOU JUST FUCKING FUCK OFF!"

"Dammit Kisame, want to swap partners? This kid won't last a day with me as his companion." The shark-man gave a laugh and grinned at Sasori.

"Sorry, man, but you can't dump the runt on me." He turned to look at the Uchiha, where he had moved from the gap to stand next to Kisame once again. "Well Itachi, I think we should leave these two to 'bond'." He snickered and Itachi gave a stoic nod.

"Very well; let's be off, Kisame." He looked over to Sasori, slowly blinking at him. "At least _try_ to restrain yourself from killing him please." The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave an annoyed snort. Itachi gave a small sigh and turned, walking to the entrance with Kisame following behind him.

When they passed the blonde he began to scream at them. "DON'T FUCKING WALK OFF, UN! COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME YOU FUCKING-" Sasori once again shook the blonde for a few more seconds, causing the boy to turn and glare at him instead. "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROB-" The next out burst resulted in the red head shaking him again. _**"STOP FUCKING SHAKING ME!"**_

Sasori rolled his eyes and gave a sigh. "I'll stop shaking you when you stop screaming and tell me your stupid name." The blonde made a move to continue to yell, but Sasori just started to shake him again.

"OKAY, UN!" The red head stopped at the sound of submission and the boy heaved a frustrated sigh, glaring intensely at the puppet; if only looks could kill… "My name is Deidara."

-o-

Enter Deidara…My last partner, my constant problem, and my future…_Lover_…

-?-

'_And I and all the souls in pain,  
>Who tramped the other ring,<br>Forgot if we ourselves had done  
>A great or little thing,<br>And watched with gaze of dull amaze  
>The man who had to swing.<em>

_And strange it was to see him pass  
>With a step so light and gay,<br>And strange it was to see him look  
>So wistfully at the day,<br>And strange it was to think that he  
>Had such a debt to pay.<em>

…

_So with curious eyes and sick surmise  
>We watched him day by day,<br>And wondered if each one of us  
>Would end the self-same way,<br>For none can tell to what red Hell  
>His sightless soul may stray.<em>

…

_Like two doomed ships that pass in storm  
>We had crossed each other's way:<br>But we made no sign, we said no word,  
>We had no word to say;<br>For we did not meet in the holy night,  
>But in the shameful day.<em>

_A prison wall was round us both,  
>Two outcast men were we:<br>The world had thrust us from its heart,  
>And God from out His care:<br>And the iron gin that waits for Sin  
>Had caught us in its snare.'<em>

_Hello Master._


	34. A Boy Who Hates You

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Four

A Boy Who Hates You

Sasori was currently in the room of an inn with a sleeping Deidara lying on the sheets of the bed. The red head had been forced to knock the blonde unconscious an hour or so ago. God, he'd never met anyone so reluctant to join the Akatsuki before; no wonder Kakuzu killed his partners so often. But dammit, Pein had it out for him.

He'd probably purposely put him with someone so obnoxious just to irritate him. They had only been partners for five days now and the blonde had already almost blown them both to smithereens. Deidara had tried to run away twice, and the last time had been especially unpleasant as Sasori had been forced to come out of Hiruko.

The red head currently kneeled beside the blonde's bed, looking at the deep gashes on Deidara's right arm. Hiruko sat open in the corner, and Sasori recalled the events of not too long ago.

(Flash back)

Sasori had woken inside of Hiruko when he sensed the blonde slip out of the hotel bed. He decided to wait and follow Deidara, knowing that the brat was trying to escape again. So after the blonde had left the room, Sasori had followed behind him without Deidara catching on.

-x-

"Why are you even bothering to try and run away when you know that I'll just hunt you down again and bring you back?" The blonde stopped at the sound of Sasori's Hiruko voice and he quickly turned around.

They were in the forest, a fair way away from the inn they were staying at. With the blonde's fighting methods, Sasori had not wanted to chance the idea of confronting Deidara near civilisation. Up in the night sky the almost full moon gazed down at the scene without interest.

The blonde sneered at him, immediately unzipping the two pouches at his sides in preparation. "What is your fucking problem, un? Why don't you just leave me the fuck alone! I don't want to be in the Akatsuki, and you don't want me to fucking be in Akatsuki either! Fucking let me leave, un!"

Sasori gave a sigh, and made Hiruko glare at the blonde. "You don't get it, do you? I would _ADORE_ for you to run off - trust me I would - but if you leave, then Leader will hate me even more than he already does! Why the hell won't that seep into your thick skull already, brat?"

The blonde looked at Sasori slowly, before giving an odd smirk. "Fine then; I think that I can find a fucking solution to both of our problems…" Deidara moved his hands to his teal robed-shirt and pulled it off with ease, revealing his fourteen year old chest from below. Sasori was partly horrified to find that not only did the blonde have an extra mouth on each hand, but he also had a massive orifice on his chest. The red head stared at it in disgust as it opened to reveal a long gruesome tongue that reminded him too much of Orochimaru's. This blonde just found more and more ways to mentally disturb the red head, which was saying something considering he was already a psychopath.

The blonde shoved his right hand into one of his clay pouches and Sasori watched him as he pulled out a huge lump of clay - before he decided to stop him. Sasori quickly wrapped Hiruko's tail around the blonde, pinning his arms to his sides. Deidara sneered at him and began to struggle. Sasori was about to scoff at the exercise in futility, when the blonde actually managed to free his right arm.

The red head realised that when he had wrapped Hiruko's tail around Deidara, his right arm had been positioned within one of the joint gaps.

Blood dribbled down his limb and Sasori noticed a deep new gash which ran from the blonde's bicep to wrist. His flesh must have caught on the edges of the two segments which the joint sat between. The blonde sneered in pain at the wound, but mostly managed to ignore it. "I'LL SHOW YOU TRUE ART, UN!" He gave a maniacal laugh and pressed the fist full of clay to his chest mouth. "I'LL DETONATE MYSELF!"

The blonde gave another mad laugh and the mouth began to eat the clay. Sasori sneered, knowing right away that he had to stop Deidara.

"I'LL LEAVE A BLOODY SCAR ON THIS FUCKING LAND WHICH NONE HAVE EVER GAZED UPON BEFORE! I SHALL BECOME THE ESSENCE OF TRUE ART!" Sasori watched as black lines began to form over Deidara's skin. He had to somehow stop the blonde from doing whatever it was he was doing…A million ideas ran through his head, but most ended in failure…

He then realised what he had to do.

The hatch of Hiruko abruptly opened and the real Sasori stepped out of the puppet. Deidara was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the red head, but the Jutsu continued. He sneered at the older male, baring his teeth. "YOU THINK A FUCKING GENJUTSU WILL BE ENOUGH TO FUCKING SAVE YOU, UN? YOU'RE FUCKING WRONG!"

Sasori calmly walked up to the blonde, beginning to fiddle in his medical pouch -which he had picked up before leaving the safety of the puppet. By the time he reached the blond he had found what he was searching for, taking it out and dropping the bag carelessly on the ground. He looked up at Deidara, noticing that his flesh was beginning to go transparent and the black lines were darkening with each second. Sasori attached chakra strings to the mouth on Deidara's chest, pulling on the tongue so that it sat out of the orifice.

The blonde smirked down at him with a sinister grin, giving a laugh. "THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN FUCKING DO! MY ART IS A BANG!" Without further to do, Sasori tipped the contents of the vial he had pulled from his medical pouch onto the outstretched tongue, and then used his chakra strings to make the mouth swallow the liquid.

Deidara sneered and gave another laugh, but he suddenly stilled. The mouth began to twitch and writhe, making Sasori step to the side - out of the way - as the orifice suddenly lurched forward and began to vomit up the clay that it had ingested onto the ground. Sasori watched as the blonde's skin slowly began to reappear, and the black marks started to fade.

"NO! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO, UN?" The mouth finished puking the explosive clay out of its system, taking to hanging its tongue out in what could be relief. The markings completely disappeared and his flesh had returned. He glared hard at the red head with teeth clenched tightly in disbelief. His most extravagant work of art had been stopped. "HOW FUCKING DARE YOU, UN! I SWEAR I'LL-"

"Kindly shut the hell up, _brat_." Sasori moved Hiruko's tail down slightly so that he could place his palm on Deidara's forehead, figuratively swallowing down his Haptephobia. The red head sent a wave of chakra through Deidara's mind, and the blonde's eyes instantly shut as he went limp. Sasori watched as the boy lost consciousness, falling into a deep deep sleep.

(End of Flashback)

Sasori gave a sigh as he climbed onto the bed, having decided that a wound as bad as the one the blonde bore on his right arm required stitching before he could properly heal it. The red head had already brought his medical pouch onto the bed, and he tried to get into a position where he could easily stitch up the wound. He sat on the fourteen year old's waist and turned his arm slightly to better face him. Sasori pulled out his needle and thread, starting to sew up the gaping wound, getting blood on his hands in the process.

-x-

He had finished stitching up the injury, and he was currently using his Tender Touch Technique to heal the scarring. The thread which he used was a special type which dissolved once enough chakra had seeped into it, so he would not have to go through the hassle of pulling them out afterwards. Sasori sighed as he finished healing the wound, taking a moment to inspect it; not even a scar…Good.

The red head sat back and moved his attention to the mouth on the blonde's chest, frowning down at it. The thing could become a problem if Deidara tried to blow himself up every five fucking minutes. Sasori needed to do something about it…

An idea hit him and he began to rummage around in his medical bag once again, pulling out the two objects he'd been searching for. The first was the piece of thread that Kakuzu had given him seven years earlier, whilst the other was the single Uzumaki Scroll which he had failed to give to Orochimaru.

He used chakra strings instead of one of his sewing needles; attaching them to the thick piece of thread. Sasori pushed the tongue back into the mouth and he began the meticulous task of sewing the orifice shut.

-x-

Sasori had almost finished drawing the markings which the Uzumaki Scroll specified around the mouth. He completed the final stroke, and placed his palm over the orifice, pumping chakra into the markings and Kakuzu's black thread. There was a weird sound which was similar to the blare of bones breaking, and Sasori knew that it was complete. The red head ran a finger over the ink markings, but found that they didn't come off; they were now permanent tattoos on the blonde's skin.

He gave sigh and looked to the boy's sleeping face; the child was completely unaware of the operation that he had just been through.

The red head continued to look down at the sleeping blonde with faint curiosity. He put a finger to Deidara's Adam's-apple and ran his digit down till it reached his lower stomach area, imagining that his fingertip was actually a deadly scalpel. Sasori blinked down at the blonde, mentally picturing himself actually slicing Deidara open and converting him into a puppet…

…It would be so easy…

Sasori - without further thinking - slipped his hand into his medical pouch and pulled out one of his several medical scalpels. He glanced at it and then at the blonde, giving a sadistic smirk. In one motion, he made a nice, deep, incision…

Slicing the Iwagakure symbol on Deidara's forehead protector in two; successfully severing the blonde's ties to the village of his birth. He gave a small sigh and put the scalpel away into his medical pouch, examining his handiwork for a few moments.

Sasori frowned in distaste as he once again became aware of his Haptephobia…He sneered in disgust and quickly got off of the blonde, packing away his medical equipment. The red head took one last look at the stitched up mouth and the markings which were drawn around it like tattoos…It would only break if Sasori were to somehow die…

He gave a simple sigh and retreated back inside of Hiruko, decided to take a nap to recharge his mentality while the blonde was fast asleep.

-x-

Sasori was awoken by the blonde sitting up in his bed, and he automatically took over Hiruko's consciousness. The red head watched Deidara as he looked around the room to assess his whereabouts. The blonde realised where he was and he appeared to remember the occurrences of the night before. He looked to his right arm, surprised to find that the deep wounds had completely disappeared, but then his eyes caught on to the tattoos which surrounded the mouth on his chest.

He looked at it and his forget-me-not orbs widened in shock. Deidara brought a hand up to touch the stitches, giving a wince and a curse as pain shot through his body. Sasori watched as the blonde tried to use the mouth of his left palm to chew through the thread, but after a minute of being unsuccessful, he gave up so that he could shoot a glare at Hiruko.

Deidara opened his mouth to talk, but he was cut off by Sasori. "Listen brat; for once in your life." The blonde looked like he was about to speak again, but he decided to let the red head talk, closing his mouth. "Thank you. Now, I am-"

"I know who the fuck you are, un. You're Sasori of the Red Sand; a demon from the filthy shit-hole Sunagakure. The offspring of an Incubus and a witch, you turn all people who meet you into fucking puppets and devour their souls. I've heard the stories, un." The blonde fidgeted a little into a more comfortable position before returning to glare at Sasori.

The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes in annoyance, "Well that's one I haven't heard before. Usually they say I was born from the blood of some corrupt deity or demon…But the point is, those are just stories…Well, mostly, I do make people into puppets. Because only through death can one gain Eternity and-"

Deidara snorted in amusement and almost burst out laughing. "Death leads to 'eternity'? Last time I checked: death leads to death. You know? Pushing up daisies, passing away, not actually existing, no more life, fleeting…Art, un." The blonde smirked at Sasori and gave a chuckle. "You see, true art is something that is ephemeral."

"Art is Eternal; and I already told you to shut up." Deidara snickered and rolled his eyes, but allowed Sasori to continue. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…I am your partner in the Akatsuki. I don't like it, you don't like it, but neither of us have a choice. You think that I like being around a kid practically half my age who likes to blow stuff up? Honestly, I would rather have no partner at all…By far. Okay? The point is we have to put up with it." He gave a sigh, and continued before the blonde interrupted once more, "We have our first mission together in two days, and that is to talk to a man who apparently has a lead on Orochimaru. We have to-"

"Who the fuck is 'Orochimaru', un?" The blonde blinked at him, curious - as he always seemed to be when he wasn't pissed off.

"He was my very first partner in the Akatsuki; Orochimaru turned traitor and left the Akatsuki five years ago. We've been after him ever since…So you see, Brat; that is why you can't leave the Akatsuki. You're lucky that I don't tell Leader about how you keep trying to run away, or he might make me kill you." Okay, Pein wouldn't be at all bothered by the blonde leaving, he would just be angry at Sasori for letting him go. And then the red head would be forced to hunt the blonde down and bring him back anyway. Sasori sighed in annoyance, and once again continued. "So that will be our first mission, and then we are to meet a cohort of mine afterwards. Got it?" Deidara simply gave a shrug in neither approval nor denial, causing Sasori to give an annoyed growl. "Whatever, but now that that is clear brat, I-"

"Okay, why the fuck do you keep calling me 'brat', un?" The blonde frowned at him in reproach, before moving to once again examine his stitched up mouth.

"Because you are one, now- STOP MESSING WITH THAT THING!" Deidara rolled his eyes and actually did what Sasori ordered, taking his hand away from it. "I sewed it shut because I can't have you dying on me, brat. You won't be blowing yourself up while I'm around. But anyway, as I was saying before you _ONCE AGAIN_ interrupted…I have a number of rules which I expect you to follow, and just because I hate you, I'm giving you more than my previous partner." Sasori then went on to discuss what his rules and expectations were.

Do not question Sasori or his logic

Do not make any inappropriate/flirtatious comments about Sasori

Do not make any inappropriate comments at all

Do not start arguments

Keep all chatting to a minimum

Keep their relationship as just team-mates

Do not touch Sasori or his stuff without permission

Do not be annoying

Do not start arguments (added a second time for emphasis)

Art is Eternal; deal with it.

Do not complain

Do not swear without good reason

Follow the above rules

The blonde blinked at him, overly bored by all of the rules. "What the fuck? I can understand most of them, but why the fuck would I ever want to have a fucking relationship with an ugly bastard like you, un?"

Okay, the blonde had already broken rules one, two, three, four, five, eight, eleven and twelve (also thirteen) in less than five seconds… "It needed to be said; now I suggest we get moving."

"Hey, who was that red head from before?" The blonde gave a frown and raised an eyebrow in thought. "I'm not quite sure whether that was a genjutsu, or…"

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes, giving a sigh. "I'm a Puppet Master; that was not a genjutsu - it was just one of my puppets."

Deidara blinked at him apprehensively, before giving a shrug. "Okay, un; whatever you say…Now where has my robe gone?" The blonde looked down at his chest, only wearing his teal pants.

"I left it back in the clearing where you discarded it. There is a package on the bedside table which contains your Akatsuki uniform." The blonde gave a nod and got out of the bed, ripping open the package in a few seconds. He picked all of the clothes up and - giving Sasori a small blank look - disappeared into the bathroom to get changed.

The red head opened his eyes inside of Hiruko, giving a sigh. He leaned back as he waited for the blonde to get dressed, half sensing Deidara's chakra to make sure that he didn't make another escape attempt. The rest of his mind thought about whether he had been just as much as a nuisance to Orochimaru as this kid was to him…

No; unlike the brat, he actually had _respect_ for his elders. He heard the door open and Sasori once again took control of Hiruko, looking at the blonde. Deidara now wore the regular Akatsuki uniform of blue pants and white leg warmers. He was currently buttoning up his organisation cloak - revealing that he wore no shirt underneath the garment - and showing his now black painted fingernails. "What's with the nail-polish, un?"

"A few years ago it was made mandatory. It is in the case of doppelgangers trying to disguise themselves as Akatsuki members; henges are not always exact and something so unimportant such as nail polish is usually over looked. So if one were to notice that their partner didn't have any nail-polish on, or they were graced with a different colour, then they know that they're most likely an impostor."

"…" The blonde raised an eyebrow at the puppet, giving an unamused blink. "But I can't even see your hands…Sasori, un…" The name seemed thick on his tongue.

"Well," Sasori gave a sigh of annoyance, "I'm sure that I'd be able to prove myself if I wanted to." He rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a sigh. "And in case you would like to know, I wear teal nail-polish." Deidara gave a droll nod and Sasori examined the blonde's hair style with distaste. He was mostly accustomed to seeing people with long hair now - despite growing up in a society where short locks were more accepted - but the blonde's hair-length was just ridiculous. "Do something about your hair as well; it's annoying me."

Deidara gave Sasori a dejected look, sneering at him in a flare of anger. "I'M NOT CUTTING MY FUCKING HAIR!"

The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes in irritation and gave a sigh. "I never said to cut it, brat. Just put it out of my sight." The blonde rolled his eyes and waltzed back into the bathroom to change his hairstyle. Sasori gave a sigh and impatiently waited for Deidara to re-emerge - which he did a few minutes later. His hair was now tied up in a high ponytail that was unbelievably sloppy, while the rest was either in front of his left eye or hanging loose…It wasn't an improvement, but Sasori found that he couldn't bring himself to care, "Good enough; let's go."

Oh well, it could have been worse…

The only thing worse than a boy who hates you is a boy who loves you.


	35. Madara Uchiha

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Five

Madara Uchiha

Sasori and Deidara had managed to track down the man who claimed to have information on Orochimaru's whereabouts. He lived alone on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Paddies – also known recently as the Land of Sound - close to a landmark known as the 'Valley of the End'. The duo easily found the house where the man resided, that being an old log cabin which had some moss creeping up its sides. Sasori was about to knock down the door with his scorpion tail, when the blonde stopped him.

"Manners, un." Deidara rolled his eyes and actually knocked on the door. Sasori was about to scold the kid for his idiocy, when a voice called from inside, telling them to enter. Deidara shot the puppet a smirk, before pushing the door open. He walked inside, and Sasori reluctantly followed behind him.

A man who matched the description which Zetsu had issued them sat within a rocking chair by a roaring fireplace. He looked up at the doorway, firstly seeing Deidara, to whom the old man gave a warm smile, "Why hello there, young man. You sure are awfully young to be wearing that cloak…" Sasori sauntered in behind Deidara and the man caught sight of him, his smile instantly falling to an accusingly stoic expression. "I don't know how desperate your organisation is, but to make such a young man join you…?" He simply shook his head, deciding that he knew better than to bad mouth the Akatsuki further, changing the subject. "So, you want the information on Orochimaru?"

"Yes," Sasori moved in front of the blonde so as to assert his superiority, "tell us all that you know about Orochimaru." The blonde grumbled something that the red head didn't even bother to listen in on, taking some clay from his hip pouch and beginning to idly chew and fiddle with it. "We'll be sure to make it worth your wild."

The man gave a laugh and dropped his condemning expression to grin at them, revealing that he was missing several teeth due to his old age. "Ah, yes, you know that not long ago the Land of Sound was known as the Land of Rice Paddies?" Sasori nodded Hiruko's head and the man returned the gesture thoughtfully. "Well, a few years ago, that Orochimaru fella invaded the country and convinced the Daimyo to give him his own Shinobi Village. Said village is called Otogakure and it is made up of a series of underground lairs. Orochimaru resides in one of these structures at a time, and I know the whereabouts of the one which he will be staying at in five days time." Considering that it was day seven of their trip, and they were going to meet Kabuto in three days, that gave two days in between…

The male abruptly stopped speaking his known information, giving a simple smile instead. Sasori became irritated and impatient with the old man's silence, "Go on; tell me where he will be!"

"Child," he was referring to Deidara of course, "how old are you?"

The blonde blinked at the man, giving Sasori a slightly hesitant look before he arrogantly turned back to the man with his nose held snootily high, "Fourteen, un."

"Yes, just as I feared." He shook his head, giving tutting noises before returning his gaze to Sasori, "I'll disclose the future whereabouts of Orochimaru…As long as you let the boy leave the organisation."

The red head blinked Hiruko's eyes at the man, giving a snort, "Very well." The blonde shot him an alarmed look and Sasori turned his puppet's gaze unto him for a few moments before looking back at the old man, "I'll release the brat as long as you tell me where Orochimaru will be. And if that information is wrong, then I'll make the Akatsuki hunt Deidara here down, and we'll kill him. Do we have a deal?" The man looked to the blonde, and then back to Sasori, giving a firm nod, "Good; brat, you're free to leave."

The blonde frowned at Sasori, rather puzzled, but none the less he turned and left the cabin, "Now, tell me what you know." The man nodded and told the puppet everything that he knew concerning the subject of Orochimaru's future whereabouts.

-x-

Sasori left the cabin, noticing the figure of Deidara sitting at the base of a nearby tree, still moulding the clay in his hands, "I'm slightly impressed to see that you weren't actually stupid enough to run, brat." The blonde looked up at Sasori with a blank countenance and got to his feet, "You're free to blow the house up."

Deidara's eyes widened in disbelief and awe as it finally clicked in his mind that being in the Akatsuki increased his chances of being able to use his art. He looked between Sasori, the house, back to the puppet, and then stopped his gaze at last on the cabin, a cruel beam forming on his lips. "Just watch, Master, I'll show you my art, and then maybe you will see how beautiful it is, un!"…The brat had actually called him 'Master'…Well, looks like he had finally gained at least a small amount of the respect that he so rightly deserved.

"Just blow it up already and let's go." Deidara gave a chuckle and tossed his creation into the air. It had been moulded into the shape of a dove, taking life as it was thrown, and it flew - far too peacefully - through the air. The thing fluttered over to the house, decisively landing on the roof with an utterly innocent appearance.

The blonde made a half ram sign and gave a cruel laugh, "KATSU!" An explosion ripped through the air, and right before Sasori's eyes the entire house was reduced to a charred hole…The red head looked to the blonde, seeing an absolutely content expression had smothered his previous countenance. "How was that, un?" His voice was surprisingly soft compared with what it usually was.

"…" Sasori scoffed and turned away from the debris, beginning to move, "Complete rubbish. Now come along brat." The blonde gave his own scoff, but none the less followed next to the puppet. "I'll show you an example of what 'True Art' is."

If the mission had taught Sasori anything useful about the blonde, it was this; he would never try to run away ever again.

-x-

"What's that noise, un?" There was a crashing sound and Sasori knew what it was immediately, though he decided to not answer Deidara just yet, keeping it a secret.

Eventually they reached the area at the base of the waterfall, both of them looking upwards to gaze at the two enormous statues that stood on either side of the crashing water. "Welcome to the 'Valley of the End'."

Orochimaru had once taken Sasori there during their time together in the Akatsuki. All that time had passed, and yet the place had not changed in the slightest. The red head moved Hiruko over the surface of the water, able to keep his chakra steady so as to keep the puppet from sinking. Deidara did the same, staring up at the statues in awe as they continued to walk forward.

Sasori began to tell the blonde the information which Orochimaru had told to him, "After the foundation of the village Konohagakure, the two Shinobi known as Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju took part in a bloody battle which is said to have carved out this very valley in which we stand. They fought for leadership over Konoha and after a long time, Hashirama defeated Madara - the latter having been killed during the battle. These statues were erected in memory of the fight which the two Shinobi fought; they have lasted far longer than anything that you would consider to be 'art', and yet you must agree that they are truly a work of great artistic talent…So, what do you think about art now?"

The blonde continued to watch the statues for a few seconds more before he turned to Sasori, giving an arrogant grin, "I certainly…_Respect_ your own interpretation of art, Master, but unfortunately it is still nothing compared to a transitory moment~"

Sasori scoffed and moved forward, stopping when he reached the very base of the statue of Madara Uchiha, "Whatever, the point is that I have a task for you, brat. If you complete it, then I will make you an official Akatsuki member; if not, then I will lose all hope that you may one day become a tolerable partner…Not that I have any hope about that happening anyway…"

He turned around and the real Sasori opened up his eyes. The red head fumbled around inside of Hiruko until he found the puppet scroll that he had been searching for. Sasori summoned it and then took control of Hiruko once more with the new puppet hanging in the air above. The marionette he had summoned had once been his ex-partner, Kurow. In her hands she clutched the ring that Sasori had first been given by Kisame after Orochimaru had left, and had once been on her own index finger - prior to her demise.

He sent the puppet high into the air, going the length of the incredibly giant statue, until she reached Madara's hand which was positioned in a half ram seal in a sign of battle etiquette towards Hashirama. The puppet placed the ring down on the top of the Madara sculpture's middle finger before disappearing in a puff of smoke, "Get that ring without the use of any weapons, chakra, explosive clay, or anything as such; climb the statue by using just your hands and your feet."

The blonde stared at Sasori as if he were insane, before looking back up at the statue. He soon gave a prideful "Humph, why should I have to do something so fucking stupid, un?"

"Everyone has to do something worthwhile if they wish to be in the Akatsuki, brat." Sasori rolled his eyes and snickered, "Be grateful that I am being so lenient; I had to take down-…Someone _very_ powerful. Now quit whining and get on with it; I hate to be kept waiting."

Deidara sneered but began to climb up the statue - none the less - without the help of anything other than his hands, feet and the rest of his body. The red head knew that this would certainly take a while, so he decided to open his own eyes. Sasori sat back inside of the puppet, knowing that Deidara would soon give up, releasing a sigh as he began to think about what he was going to do about Kabuto…

-x-

It was dark by the time Deidara had reached Madara's shoulders, taking an exhausted seat to try and catch his breath while Sasori was now mentally scolding himself. He certainly would not have chosen such a time-consuming task had he known that the brat wouldn't have given up so easily!

Sasori watched as the blonde once again got to his feet and carefully began to move along the arm, finally starting to climb the wrist of the statue. The red head could see from here that the blonde was covered in scrapes, and he had taken his Akatsuki cloak off long ago as it had grown far too hot. The organisation uniform was currently draped over Hiruko's back, a tad wet from having been thrown into the water.

Finally the blonde hoisted himself up onto the index finger of Madara's hand, and then onto the middle digit. He kneeled there for a few seconds, catching his breath, before he stood up, the ring now on his own right index finger, as if the blonde had already known where it belonged, "I DID IT, MASTER!"

The kid laughed loudly, the full moon appearing directly behind him so all that Sasori could see was his dark silhouette against the white. The blonde suddenly stumbled slightly, clearly over-exhausted, and Sasori watched as Deidara slipped off of the stone digit, falling downwards to the water below. The red head wondered whether such a fall would be enough to kill the blonde, and whether he should try to save him…

Before Sasori could make up his mind, there was a puff of smoke around the blonde. The puppet watched as a great pair of wings began to flap, blowing the drifting grey cloud to disperse in all directions. Deidara was situated on the back of a giant clay dove, still headed towards the water. In a feat of pure ostentatious showmanship, the blonde made the bird avoid hitting the surface of the liquid at the very last moment, tilting the creature to zoom horizontally so that its feet just barely skimmed the water's surface, soon coming to a stop a few metres away from Sasori.

It fluttered above the water, and Deidara jumped off of it within one single movement. As he did so, the dove disappeared in another puff of smoke and the blonde landed in a crouching position on one knee. He was panting hard from exhaustion and the scrapes and cuts which covered his young body were worse than Sasori had previously thought. Oh well, they were nothing that he couldn't heal. Deidara cockily grinned up at Sasori, putting a shaky hand forward to show that he had the ring on his finger. The full moon shone down on it, revealing the kanji for the word 'Blue', "Too easy, un."

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a sigh. "No need to get conceited, brat. I guess we'll make camp nearby, and I'll heal your wounds." The blonde nodded and struggled to get to his feet, screwing up his countenance in pure effort. He managed to walk on his own however, with just his determination to push him forward after his body had long since met its limit…Maybe he _was_ worthy enough to be an Akatsuki member after all…

-x-

Deidara had fallen asleep as soon as he had lain down on the hard ground. Sasori rolled his eyes at the blonde's stupid young antics and began to use his Tender Touch Technique to heal Deidara's wounds. Of course he didn't even have to get close to the blonde in order to repair the damage; he was able to heal him from a distance of one metre while being inside of Hiruko quite easily.

At least he had finally managed to gain an ounce of loyalty from his new partner after several tiring days of trying.

Sasori went over the rules he had set, trying to work out which instructions the kid actually _hadn't_ broken…Rules six, seven and eleven…Which had been about their relationship, touching Sasori's stuff, and finally the one about complaining. He was sure that number eleven would be broken soon anyway. Number seven could possibly be broken…But at least number six was a rule which was simply impossible to break.

Sasori finished healing Deidara's minor wounds and he leaned back inside of Hiruko, his job finally complete. He sighed to himself for no real reason in particular and closed his eyes, falling into his usual state of unconsciousness within less than a second.

-x-

Sasori woke up before the blonde early the next day, looking around the area to see Deidara lying where he had fallen asleep, still unconscious. Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a sigh, gazing over at the two statues that were not too far away from where they had made their camp. Even at this distance they were imposingly large against the scenery. The red head gave another sigh and looked back to Deidara, smashing his scorpion tail against the ground next to the blonde in order to disturb his sleep. Successfully awoken, the fourteen year old jumped to his feet in a flash, instinctively falling into a fighting stance.

Deidara looked around and at the sight of only Sasori he physically relaxed, falling out of his position and giving a tired yawn while stretching his sore muscles methodically, "Man; climbing that weird statue thing sure took a lot out of me, un. I'm starving~" He yawned once more, similar in appearance to a cat, and he gave a small sigh, grinning at Sasori. "So, Master," the red head was almost happy to find that Deidara still referred to him with respect, "can we get something to eat, un? I'm dying from starvation."

The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes and began to walk in a western direction, "We need to go to the Land of Grass to meet an underling of mine. We'll find a place where you can eat on the way there; we've already wasted too much time with this little fiasco."

Deidara followed behind him, raising an eyebrow in thought and suspicion, "Hey, I just realised that I've never actually seen you eat, Master, un…" He gave a grin at Sasori, walking beside him on the new found footpath, "Is someone anorexic~?"

Sasori scoffed at the stupid blonde's speculations, "That better be a joke brat, or else you're even stupider than you look." Deidara rolled his eyes but continued to smirk, revealing that it really had been just a joke, though it still made Sasori quite irked off, "Whatever, I don't need to eat. I fixed my body long ago, so I am now beyond such mundane requirements. I'm Eternal, brat."

"Will you stop calling me that, un?" The blonde glared at Sasori, though only half-heartedly, "My name is Deidara, not 'brat'." He crossed his arms childishly and stuck his nose in the air.

"I'll call you whatever I want to. Maybe I'll change my mind if you were not such a childish brat; you have to earn your identity." They continued forward towards the Grass Country. "But until that miraculous time comes, you'll have to deal with it. Got it, _'Brat'_?"

"Well…Then I'll just have to call you Master, un." The blonde crossed his arms tighter, giving an immature pout. "Or…How do you feel about the name 'Danna'?"

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes, giving a sigh. "Master and Danna mean the exact same thing, _Brat_…But call me Master, because Danna also means husband and I don't want people to believe that I'd ever have a romantic relationship with a kid like you…Even a platonic relationship is too embarrassing…"

Deidara grinned down at Sasori, uncrossing his arms and moving them behind his head in a care-free fashion, "Okay then; good idea, Danna, un. I'll make sure that I never call you Danna ever again, Danna." The red head gave a harsh sigh and shook Hiruko's head in simple irritation, walking onwards quietly. "So when the fuck are we going to reach a place for breakfast, un? I'm still as starving as fuck, Danna."

"We'll get there once we get there; quit complaining." Well, there goes another one of his rules…That only left two unbroken…

And thus started the nicknames of Brat and Danna…

-x-

Deidara was currently being carried by Hiruko's tail as Sasori continued to walk his puppet onwards. The blonde had complained about being tired, and had had the gall to try and ride on Hiruko's back. Sasori had, of course, been utterly enraged by Deidara breaking yet another of his rules - leaving only number six unbroken - and he had decided to settle the issue by carrying the blonde using Hiruko's tail.

Besides, if the kid started to get chatty, Sasori could just give him a good shake to shut him up.

It was night-time and there was a new moon in the sky, meaning the area was extremely dark due to the lack of any source of lighting, but Sasori's acute eyesight could see just as good in the dim than in the light. "Why the fuck do we have to meet one of your fucking bitches, un?"

They reached the bridge before Kabuto and Sasori abruptly let go of the blonde, dropping him on the wooden structure. Deidara fell onto his butt, giving a small groan and he shot the red head a good glare to which the red head responded to by rolling Hiruko's eyes, "We're meeting him because I said so, Brat. So sit there and stay out of my business." The blonde gave a disgruntled sneer and got to his feet, stretching his sore muscles, once again giving Sasori the impression of a feline.

"You don't have to be such a fucking tight-ass about it, un." Deidara rubbed his arms, and began to mumble something about getting bruises from the scorpion tail, before he walked over to the side of the bridge, looking down at the water below. "I bet if someone were to fall from this height, they would die on impact…"

"Trust me Brat, I want nothing more than to push you off, but once again, I am not allowed to kill you; so don't even bother trying to tempt me." Sasori rolled his eyes, and looked over at the other side of the bridge as a figure approached. They were adorned in a long dark blue cloak, and the person was all alone. Sasori knew immediately that it was his underling. "Kabuto." The eighteen year old walked forward until he was a few metres in front of the puppet, giving a cautious glance over at Deidara who was still gazing at the water below. "Ignore him; he is my new partner unfortunately."

Kabuto pulled his hood down and frowned at Hiruko, "But Lord Sasori; with this kid hanging around, won't he affect our training?" He was quiet for a few seconds of thought, giving a serious look, "Or would you like me to kill him for you?"

The blonde's head snapped up at the remark and he turned, shooting Kabuto an utterly pissed off snarl, "HEY! WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM? FIRST HE FUCKING MAKES A MOCKERY OUT OF ME AND HUMILIATES MY ULTIMATE ARTWORK, AND NOW A FUCKING PUSSY LIKE YOU STARTS TRYING TO FUCKING-"

Sasori shot the blonde an unimpressed look, lowering his voice venomously, "Shut the hell up Brat, I-"

"NO!" Deidara glared at the red head, giving a sneer. "YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP, UN! I DESERVE TO HAVE MY FUCKING SAY IN THIS, SO GO ROT IN A DITCH OR SOMETHING, YOU FUCKING OLD-TIGHT-ASSED-PUSSY-COCK-SUCKING-BITCHY-BASTARD, UN!"

Kabuto gave the blonde a critical glare, narrowing his eyes in a dangerous expression, "I'd recommend showing respect to your elders, boy. Apologize to Lord Sasori this instant, or else you shall be sorry-"

"Both of you…SHUT THE HELL UP!" Sasori glared between the both of them, completely fed up with their fucking arguing; it was both pathetic and annoying. Deidara made a move to retaliate, but the red head quickly shut him up with a good blow from Hiruko's tail. The kid fell back onto his butt once more and began to nurse his now aching head, sending the odd glare at Sasori and the blue-cloaked male, "Now Kabuto; no he will not affect your training, because I will not be training you anymore." The male's eyes widened slightly, and the red head continued, "The reason for this is because I'm giving you a top secret mission that will take you a total of five years to accomplish."


	36. Carrion Birds

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Six

Carrion Birds

Kabuto gave a small questioning noise, frowning at Sasori and repositioning his circular glasses slightly, "A top secret mission that lasts for five years?"

"Yes, you heard me. I just learnt some vital information on the whereabouts of one of my old Akatsuki partners. Your skills will make you a valuable asset to my old partner, and I'm sure that you can learn some useful medical ninjutsu from him as well in an added bonus. You will find Orochimaru is highly similar to my self." Sasori gave a slight snicker and curled Hiruko's tail slightly, "Get it?"

Kabuto gave a frown and a slow nod, "Yes, I understand Lord Sasori, but what is it that you want me to do exactly?"

"I want you to become my spy." He moved Hiruko's tail back inside of the puppet and gave a slight thoughtful noise, "You see, Orochimaru stole something from me when he left the Akatsuki…A technique known as Edo Tensei – or Impure World Resurrection - and I want it back. I need you to go undercover for five years in order to examine this technique. If Orochimaru uses any technique that goes by this name or something similar, then you are to analyse the cellular structure of his specimens and report your findings to me. If he uses a Protection Jutsu on these, you are to use that Jutsu that I taught you to dispel it. It should work, even for a Jutsu by Orochimaru, though I'm going to have to place a Jutsu on you that will erase your memory of our time together. You will still remember the techniques that I have taught and you will still follow my directions concerning the Reanimation Jutsu but you shall merely believe this to be your own curiosity acting - rather than my will - once I initiate my Sleeper Jutsu. After this, you are to give me all the information that you gain after the five year period. In exchange, I'll give you a scroll which contains my ultimate healing Jutsu, the 'Tender Touch Technique'. I haven't taught you everything, and I am the only one who knows how to use this medical ninjutsu. So, do we have a deal?"

Kabuto gave a quick nod, straightening up somewhat in eagerness to learn the technique, "Yes, I'll do it Lord Sasori."

The red head nodded Hiruko's head, and gave a snicker. "Good, I shall turn you into one of my Sleeper Agents for the duration of the time which you are undercover. You shall forget everything about tonight and about me, but you shall remember the techniques that I have taught, and as I said, you will merely believe my orders to be of your own curiosity. But no matter what, I will not accept failure! Either you succeed in gaining this information, or you die trying."

The eighteen year old gave a nod and crouched down onto one knee. He had seen Sasori perform the Sleeper Jutsu before, and Kabuto knew what to expect. The red head moved Hiruko forward, in front of the male, and opened his real eyes. Sasori fished around in his medical pouch, until he found a small needle. He attached chakra strings to it, and sent the object out of Hiruko's mouth. He made the puppet take the needle in hand, and Kabuto took his glasses off in preparation.

Without further to do, Sasori moved the small needle up to the male's eye and sent it inside. Kabuto's face twitched slightly with pain, but he didn't show any other signs of being disgruntled. The red head attached chakra strings to the needle and eventually inserted it into Kabuto's brain. With that accomplished, he made Hiruko put his hand over the male's face, in the usual fashion. Thumb on Kabuto's right cheek, pinkie on left, and middle three digits on his forehead.

"When you wake up you will go to the Land of Sound, where you will find Orochimaru at the village of Fudemou in two days time. You shall meet me here exactly five years from this date on this same bridge…At noon. When you tell me the information you have gathered, then I shall give you the scroll in return." Inside of Hiruko, the puppet made a half ram hand sign, activating the seal. His eyes slightly widened and Kabuto abruptly lost consciousness. He fell forward and Sasori barely got out of the way before the male hit the ground. The red head gave a sigh and turned Hiruko around, looking at Deidara. "Come on Brat; our work here is done."

The blonde finished nursing his sore head and blinked at Sasori, getting to his feet. "Finally, un!" Deidara couldn't seem to resist the urge to stick his tongue out at Kabuto's unconscious self in a last act of stupid superiority.

"Stop being so childish and hurry up, Brat." Sasori had already started moving and Deidara soon was following next to him. When Kabuto finally woke up he would no longer remember Sasori, at least, not until five years later…Well, that had been the plan…

-o-

Just for the record, I hated Deidara when I first met him…In fact, I think I do still hate him…It's a difficult topic to explain; but honestly, I am aware that I was admittedly hard on him, but that isn't exactly my fault. Deidara wasn't really that dreadful a partner, and I didn't hate him because I hated him…I hated him because I made myself hate him…I think I hated him, and yet at the same time, I loved him…

Well, not really the latter for the time being, I mean, I didn't love him when I first met him…Hell, even I don't really know when it was that I fell for the kid, just that it was at some point after we started having sex…I didn't even realise that I was head over heels until just before my second death – when I lost my mind.

He actually wasn't half as bad as I make him out to be, just for the record. In fact, he is pretty similar to Karura, and I certainly hadn't hated her.

But enough of this useless chatter; Deidara was my third - and last - partner in the criminal organisation known as the Akatsuki…It was actually far too similar to how it ended with Orochimaru. After five years of being partners, it was over…Except I was the one who left the organisation…Or perhaps I never left the Akatsuki, I just left him.

Even after we die and our bodies are burnt to ash; even after we are cursed to hell and our ideals are spat upon; even when nobody cries due to our departure and after we and whatever good deeds we may have accomplished have long since been forgot…Even then we are still Akatsuki members. Even then we are still monster…

_Gawd; stop acting like we're friggen subhuman, Danna! We weren't monsters; we were just people who had been pushed too far, un._

Shut up, Brat! I'm the one who is telling my story; I have been letting you cut in with your damn ballad about that murderer, but that is all! Stop interrupting me!

_But the people like hearing future-me. You're such a bias narrator; if I told them the story from my point of view, then it would be completely different! You leave out too much information, un, like how you haven't even told them about the sealing of the Five and-_

Stop it! If I want to tell them, then I will eventually tell them. This is _my_ story, and _I_ will tell it how I want too.

_Fine, I'll stop talking. Gawd, you're such a tight ass; I guess even after death, some things just never change._

Agreed; you're just as childish and annoying as you were then…Oh great, you've made me go off topic. See? This is why I don't like you narrating; I try to have a serious, philosophical moment, and then you go and ruin it.

_Whatever; fine, I'll stop narrating, but I will still quote 'Ballad of Reading Gaol' when I feel it is appropriate…I'm going for a swim._

Don't nearly drown on me again.

_I can't drown anymore, un. I'm already dead…_

-o-

Thirty One Years Old

"**Sasori,**" Zetsu appeared out of the ground of the inn, looking around. The red head was - as always - inside of Hiruko while Deidara was currently sitting on the single bed, moulding clay creatures. He was experimenting with what kinds of other sculptures he could create easily, no longer satisfied with just bugs and doves. "**You and Deidara have a new mission. You are to go to the Land of Snow to capture a man by the name of Yukisuna and to bring him to Doto Kazahana alive; apparently he wants to kill the traitor himself.**" The other side of Zetsu's personalty gave a sigh, "What a sweet old man~"

"The Land of Snow, un?" The blonde blinked at the plant-man, raising an eyebrow, "I haven't heard of that place before…"

"**Sasori has been there on a previous mission, so he can tell you about it.**" Zetsu's other personality gave a laugh of amusement, "Just don't question him too much; he has a bad temper~" With one last chortle of amusement, Zetsu disappeared below the floorboards.

Deidara looked over at Sasori, raising an eyebrow at him, "The Land of Snow, un? What the fuck is that?"

"Language, Brat." The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a sigh. "It is a single continent that is to the north of the main land; we can catch a ship to the location in the Waterfall Country. It is a land that experiences a never ending winter, and there is only snow there."

Deidara gave a nod, returning to moulding his precious clay sculptures, "When were you there last, un?"

"I went there with Kakuzu about eight years ago, but I haven't been back since. We were there to burn down a castle for the same man who is hiring us to capture this 'Yukisuna' person. His name is Doto and he is the Daimyo of the Land of Snow."

"Did you ever go there with Orochimaru, un?" The blonde looked up at Sasori, now curious as he – somewhat anxiously - waited for an answer.

"No, he would have been physically useless due to the cold weather, and I only ever went there once." Deidara gave a nod - physically relaxing for no apparent reason - and returned to his clay for a few seconds before once again looking up with another questioning expression.

"Did you have any other partners aside from Orochimaru? You never really talk about your past…" Deidara frowned and decided to put his explosive clay away into his pouches, having lost his desire to mess around with it.

"The reason I don't tell you about my past is because there is nothing to tell and because it is strictly personal…I did have one other partner called Kurow, but she died a year after she joined the Akatsuki. She accidentally got hit by one of my attacks and she was poisoned…Of course, that was before I invented my concoction that kills after three days. I used to have one that was able to kill those who were poisoned by it almost instantly, but then Leader forbade me from using it after Kurow's death. So I've only had three partners - including you - aside from Kabuto who wasn't really my official cohort."

"What about other partners? You're from Sunagakure, right? What was it like there, un?" Deidara grinned at Sasori, "We almost wiped out that fucking shit-hole during the war after the Third Kazekage was fucking kidnapped by some fuck-tard. My mum went off to fight but she got killed, so the Third Tsuchikage raised me from then on."

Sasori resisted the urge to snap at the boy for unknowingly calling him a 'fuck-tard' – as he so eloquently put it. "My parents both died during the First Shinobi World War when I was only five years old, so my Granny Chiyo raised me. Now enough Brat; we should move out now if we are to reach the Land of Waterfalls before sunset."

Deidara nodded and got to his feet, smiling at Sasori with an air of innocence…And that was all he did. The blonde just stood there and smiled until the red head got disturbed by it.

-x-

They stood on the bow of the small boat, looking up towards the shining stars and the moon - that was two-thirds full. The constellations and the moon were reflected abstractly on the surface of the ocean water, but unfortunately, Sasori and Deidara were too busy locked in their usual argument to admire the beauty around them. "Art is fleeting, un; why the fuck don't you get that?"

"Art is Eternal, Brat. What is the use of creating something which doesn't last? It will just be forgotten and all of your efforts go to waste. Now something that lasts for an Eternity; you can put as much time into it as possible, as then it will be there long after the artist has met their final demise."

"But the purpose of art being fleeting is in the purpose that you forget it. If art were to last forever then one would easily grow bored of it. But it is practically impossible for someone to consider an explosion - say a firework - as being boring as it does not last long enough for one to get the idea of it being tiresome. I'll give you an example…" He thought for a few irenic seconds, before irritatingly continuing. "Food, un!" Deidara grinned at Sasori, who simply made Hiruko give the blonde an uninterested look. "…" His grin fell, and he gave a slight frown at the puppet. "Okay, bad example in your case Mr Anorexia…Well…Oh, I know a better one! Sex!" Deidara's grin reformed and Sasori almost began to beat his head against the inside of Hiruko. "Sex is fleeting! I mean, just imagine if it lasted forever, un. You would get sick of it!"

"…I'm embarrassed to be around you, Brat." Sasori made a move to leave, but Deidara stopped him.

"Huh? What? Sex is a perfectly normal topic, un!" The blonde abruptly fell silent in thought.

"The way you talk about it, I'm guessing you're no stranger to intercourse, Brat. What kind of fifteen year old are you?" Sasori scoffed and rolled Hiruko's eyes.

"Hey! Of course I ain't no fucking virgin, you ass!" Deidara glared at Sasori, crossing his arms pridefully. "I've slept with women before, un." The red head was about to make a comment, but the blonde cut him off. "And yes, prostitutes so totally _do_ count!"

"Whatever; at least that saves me the hassle of having to go through the entire 'The Shuriken and the Kunai Knives' speech." He said it in a monotone, completely uninterested. "But why the hell did we get onto such a stupid topic anyway? Can we _please_ go back to debating about Art?"

He'd actually rather the blonde badmouthing his own views than talking about such a stupid subject.

"Hey, I've just realised…" Deidara smirked down at Sasori with a knowing look and a half sinister gleam in his eyes. "You've never actually told me your sexuality, you horny-old-bastard, un. So, what is it? Straight, gay, or bisexual?"

Sasori gave a heavy sigh, completely frustrated by the blonde. "If you must know, I'm asexual; it means that I don't get sexually excited by anyone or anything. I have been asexual ever since I was a child, so stop bothering me about it."

"Asexual wasn't an option." Deidara raised an eyebrow at the puppet, smirking even wider. "I bet you're secretly gay, un~"

Sasori just snapped at that. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT I'M NOT FUCKING GAY, KARURA!" He was about to push Deidara off the side of the boat, when he abruptly froze.

The blonde also stilled his movements, staring at Sasori like a deer in headlights. "…Karura?"

The red head was silent for a few moments of intense anger, before he turned and stormed off. Deidara didn't follow behind him, actually being smart enough to give Sasori some time to cool down.

-x-

They walked down the plank to the dock in silence, Sasori's eyes immediately falling onto the figure who he remembered from the last time he was there. The brunette man no longer wore the white cloak that he had worn last time, but was dressed up in royal clothing. It seemed that he no longer had the need to hide his appearance.

Doto recognised Sasori instantly and smiled widely at him. "Ah, you again!" The duo walked over to the man, stopping once they reached him. Doto Kazahana was now the Daimyo of the Snow Country, so he had enough power to do practically anything he wanted to. The brunette smiled down at Sasori, clearly happy to see the same member who had succeeded in the last mission he had given. His eyes then turned to Deidara, his expression fading into a more cynical look. "But what's a kid like you doing here? I hired professionals, not children."

The blonde was obviously about to go off at the guy, but Sasori stepped in just in time. "I assure you that my own skills will be enough of a compensation for what this kid lacks." Deidara shot the puppet an enraged look, but bit back his temper, instead looking away from him.

"Very well; I need you to capture this man for me. He was working for me, but he ran off before finishing his task, even though I tried to warn him that there would be consequences if he did so." Doto gave a sigh of fake remorse, shaking his head slightly. "Here is a photo of him." Sasori reached up and took the picture, looking at it through Hiruko's eyes. It was of a man with long white hair tied up in a ponytail and a grey lab-coat. "Find this man and drop him off at my fortress alive. Understood?" It seemed that, unlike last time, he had no trouble with ordering them around.

Sasori couldn't bring himself to care, and it seemed that neither could Deidara. "Got it; we shall give him to you as soon as possible." Doto nodded and the duo moved out.

-x-

They had been searching for several hours already without any luck. The moon shone high in the sky and Deidara was already complaining. "Danna, it's freezing, un! Let's find some shelter and call it a day! We'll find him tomorrow!" Sasori simply ignored the blonde, continuing to walk forward. "C'MON! I'M GOING TO FUCKING FREEZE TO DEATH! I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T GET FUCKING COLD, OR EAT, OR DO ANYTHING CONSIDERED FUCKING NORMAL, BUT I DO! YOU DON'T WANT ME TO FUCKING DIE, REMEMBER?"

Sasori gave an irritated sigh and stopped walking, turning to the blonde. "Shut the hell up already!" He swiped Hiruko's tail at him, but Deidara managed to duck underneath it, familiar with Sasori's random attempts of trying to murder him. "Fine, we'll find a nice nearby cave to sleep in! Just shut the hell up!"

Deidara smiled at Sasori, as if he had done absolutely nothing wrong. "Thank you, Danna~!"

-x-

They entered one of the nearby caves that had been carved into the cliff face. The first thing they did was check through out the tunnel to make sure that there weren't any enemies or animals residing inside. Once the place was secure, they finally settled down. Deidara sat down two metres away from the entrance of the cave, and Sasori rolled his eyes. "You're not very insulated there, Brat. You'll probably still end up freezing to death." The red head moved Hiruko to the back of the cave, settling down inside of the puppet.

"Whatever, un; I'll light a fire." Deidara went outside and came back a few minutes later with a few branches of a nearby tree. Sasori watched as the blonde began to set up a fire, but after a while the red head grew bored and dazed off into his mind. "Hey Danna, how come earlier you called me 'Katura'?...Or was it 'Kannara'… 'Katara'…'Karis'?"

Sasori rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Karura. It was an accident, Brat. She was a girl I grew up with who died a few years after I left Sunagakure. She would often go on about how she would marry me if I ever became the Kazekage, and then when I denied, she often called me a homosexual."

"Ouch, un. No wonder you left the village!" Deidara gave a sigh and lay down on the cave floor, "I had a friend called Kurotsuchi, and everyone always had such high hopes for me. They thought that I might grow up to become the next Tsuchikage after old man Onoki, but they were terribly mistaken, un. I was a part of the Explosion Corps, never even became a Genin though. My mother had been strongly against sending me to the Iwagakure Shinobi Academy, so she taught me herself as I inherited her Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai. But she died when I was like four so she only managed to train me for under a year before Onoki took me under his withered old wing."

"Oh," Sasori let go of Hiruko's consciousness, sitting back inside of the puppet dully; "I once fought a girl who had the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai. She tried to kill me with a bunch of flowers…I can't remember anything else about her though, except that I gave her my bracelet…And she was really blonde…Blonder than you, even…"

Deidara gave a yawn and curled up in a ball on the ground, "That's nice, un. Well, it's a good thing that you didn't become the Kazekage, un; or else that person who kidnapped the Third may have kidnapped you as well."

"_I_ was the one who kidnapped the Third Kazekage, you dense idiot. I kidnapped him, killed him, and then converted him into a puppet." Sasori snickered lightly and shook his head, "The bastard deserved to die; he fucking said that I couldn't become an ANBU Black Ops…"

"Language, un~…You killed him? So it's because of you that my mother went off to fight against Sunagakure?" Sasori couldn't really predict the blonde's feelings from his tone, but he found that he couldn't care and he gave a sound of agreement, "M'kay; goodnight Danna."

"Whatever Brat; prepare to catch a cold from sitting that close to the entrance." Sasori listened to the crackle of the fire that the blonde had made, giving a few seconds of thought. He shrugged slightly and closed his eyes, entering his state of unconsciousness.

-x-

Sasori was awoken rather abruptly, feeling the strange urge that something was wrong. He frowned and took control of Hiruko, looking around. It was still night time, but snow had begun to fall outside, also drifting inside the mouth of the cave. The fire had gone out and Deidara was curled up amongst a wad of snow. His face was almost as white as the pure powder, with tinges of a sickly blue. Oh great, the blonde had gone and got himself frozen to death! Well Sasori had warned him!

The red head noticed a few carrion birds hanging around Deidara's body, but they weren't making any moves to start gorging themselves on him. Sasori frowned and also took note that one of said crows was currently situated next to Hiruko, looking up at the puppet…Huh? A bird had woken him up? But he was only awoken from his unconscious state when something with powerful chakra moved into or within his range…

Revelation struck Sasori, and without much of a second thought he opened up Hiruko's hatch. The crow quietly fluttered into the air and landed on his lap, gazing up at him with an ominous 'caw'. Sasori blinked down at the bird and purposely looked into the crow's eyes, letting himself become swallowed up by the genjutsu of Itachi Uchiha…


	37. SubZero Sleep

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Sub-Zero Sleep

Sasori was warped away from the normal world, being pulled into the genjutsu universe. He stood on a blood red cloud, looking around. Everything other than the cloud was either crimson or black in colouration. Sasori looked at his hands to see that his flesh had disappeared; he was now just made up of red outlines. A swarm of crows with snow white edges burst into the air and crowded in a circle. Sasori watched as they suddenly began to create a form, until the seventeen year old known as Itachi Uchiha was floating before him. Crows pulled apart from his body, but soon merged with it again in a never ending cycle. "Sasori of the Red Sand; I firstly apologize for waking you up."

"That is alright," Sasori raised an eyebrow at the male, "but why did you wake me up anyway?"

Itachi gave a small, peaceful hum, blinking his eyes. "Because your new partner, Deidara, is currently freezing to death. I thought that because I was the reason that Orochimaru left the Akatsuki, the least I could do was save this partner of yours…Just this once." The crows began to suddenly pull apart and Itachi began to slowly un-form. "You are a medical Shinobi, Sasori, so I'll leave saving him up to you. I have played my part. Goodbye." With that expressed, the birds melted away from view, as did the rest of the genjutsu. Sasori blinked down at the crow which still sat in his lap. It gave an ominous squawk and jumped into the air, taking flight quickly. The bird glided out of the cave and the other few carrion creatures followed behind it. Sasori sighed and stood up, stepping out of Hiruko.

He traipsed over to Deidara's still self and picked him up bridal style. The red head carried him to the back of the cave, placing him inside of Hiruko's shell. Sasori then began checking for signs of life. He did have a pulse and he was breathing, but both were sluggishly weak. The red head gave a frown and began going over solutions in his head. He couldn't heat the blonde up too quickly, or that would kill him, but he also wasn't able to just leave him like this. Sasori frowned, wishing for once that he was able to produce body heat, because then-…

The red head almost groaned at having to use the stupid Jutsu that he had created over a decade ago. He scoffed and made several handsigns, activating the Human Jutsu, shivering slightly at the sudden feeling of actual feeling running through his body as it shifted into that of a normal human. The red head moved over to the blonde, pulling the soaking Akatsuki cloak from the boy, tossing it to the side. Deidara didn't wear a shirt beneath the main article of clothing, revealing his bare white and blue chest. The mouth on his left side was shuddering slightly, and Sasori guessed that its teeth were chattering - or something weird like that.

The red head gave a sigh and unbuttoned his own Akatsuki cloak, pulling it off but not getting rid of it. He lay down next to the blonde inside of Hiruko and pulled down the hatch, trying to get into a comfortable position. The puppet was made for a sixteen year old body, not one that was thirty-one years old - not to mention Deidara also being inside of Hiruko. Sasori put his Akatsuki cloak over the top of them as a sort of blanket, and he wrapped his arms around the blonde, planning to use his own body heat to keep him alive.

Sasori hissed, having not realised just how icy Deidara really was. God, it was practically a miracle that he was still alive at this temperature! The red head ignored the biting and pulled Deidara closer against his chest, holding the fifteen year old to try and protect him from the cold clutches of death.

After a while, the blonde's health appeared to be steadily improving. His skin was slowly but gradually returning to its usual colour, his breathing was more frequent and his pulse had picked up. He snuggled against Sasori in his what-could-have-been-Eternal sleep, and the red head resisted the urge to recall his phobia of being touched. This was necessary if he was to keep Deidara from dying - and from Pein killing him.

Eventually the red head grew tired and fell into actual sleep, something that he had not done since he had been sixteen. Not only that, but for the first time in all of these years, he had a dream similar to the one he had had all those years ago…

_Sasori stood in the darkness once again, almost all alone. An image flickered and an Akatsuki hologram formed. It soon became solid, and revealed the old figure of a fifteen year old Karura wearing an Akatsuki cloak. Slowly she smiled calmly at him, and began to sing the same song of lament as before, but slightly differently… "This is the world that you told me about…So why didn't I listen to you? Couldn't I have been content outside of the stupid walls like you were?" She gave a small almost-giggle and traipsed forward to Sasori. Karura stopped in front of him, but simply smiled at the red head. "Now that I know what is out there in the world…How could I have shielded you from _Him_?" Karura gave a slow sigh, yet still she smiled down at him. "Or _**Them**_?" Sasori was no longer confused as to what the latter was. Clearly 'Them' referred to the Akatsuki._

_Karura gave a laugh, and leaned slightly forward, as if to kiss Sasori, but as she went to lock their lips, something else got in the way. She pulled back, and the red head was surprised to see that a mask adorned her face. It was snow white with the blood red markings - that Sasori had worn on his face as a child - painted on it._

_The person laughed loudly and began to chant in a different voice, "You should not have made a promise which you could not keep, so I shall take your son for my name is Nimble-Still-Creep. You should not have made a promise which you could not keep, so I shall take your son for my name is Nimble-Still-Creep." The person gave another laugh and they put their hands up to the mask, pulling it off._

_Instead of Karura, the new person revealed was a girl of about thirteen with extreme blonde hair, who also was adorned in an Akatsuki cloak. Sasori immediately recognised her as the Iwagakure girl that he had met on Mother Island. Asuko had been her name!_

_She gave a laugh and a flower appeared in her hand as she began to sing. "It doesn't matter what you say, children will never listen to you. Children can only grow from something you love," she grinned and the flower in her hand burst into flames, "to something you lose." Asuko dropped the flower, and as Sasori stared at her, the girl's image slowly changed. The red head watched as after a few alterations, the blonde turned into none other than Deidara. Sasori stared, wondering why the two looked so similar…_

_The blonde leaned close to the red head, giving a small chuckle. "Isn't it nice to know a lot? And a little bit not, un." As Sasori watched, a dark figure formed behind the blonde. The shadow shifted and soon it became an eight year old version of Daichi._

_Just as with all the others in the dream he was adorned in an Akatsuki cloak, though his face and clothes were covered in dark red blood. A small white snake slithered up the child's body, until it crawled into his hand. Sasori watched as the creature turned into Orochimaru's sword 'Kusanagi'._

_Daichi lifted up the weapon, making a move to slice Deidara in half with it. Sasori couldn't move, and all he could do was watch. Surprisingly different from the other time he had had the dream, Deidara wasn't sliced in half._

_The blonde simply put out his hand and grabbed the blade of the sword, unfazed and successfully stopping it. Kusanagi writhed in Deidara's hand, turning back into the white snake. It was swallowed up by the mouth on the palm as if it were made of clay and Deidara bent down, retrieving the burning flower that Asuko had dropped earlier. His countenance changed into one which was insane, and the black lines began to reform on his skin._

_Daichi melted into the darkness, leaving the two Akatsuki members alone. Sasori tried to move but found that he was now trapped in the clasp of an unknown force._

_He looked around and saw that he was trapped within Hiruko's tail, unable to make the puppet release him. "Danna, over here, un." Sasori looked back to the blonde, watching as the black lines grew ever bolder. Deidara held the torrefied flower out to Sasori, smiling sweetly up at the red head. "Katsu." The blossom's fire abruptly went out, and everything became silent. _"Where am I?" _Deidara's face became distorted, and began to morph rapidly. His countenance shifted between that of Asuko's, Karura's and then once again to Deidara. Hiruko began to shake Sasori rapidly and _his eyes abruptly opened as he realised that the shaking was real. "WHERE THE FUCK AM I?" Deidara was awake and struggling against the red head, but Sasori was holding onto him too tightly to enable him escape. The thirty-one year old calmly let go of the raging blonde, who scurried away from him, only to hit his head on the roof of Hiruko. Deidara cursed and began to nurse his wounded head, curling up into a tight ball. "…Fuck that hurt, un…"

Sasori sat up, careful not to hit his own head, stretch slightly. He was sweating somewhat and his heart was racing from the nightmare that he had just experienced. "You should be happy that you're still alive, Brat. A few more minutes and you would have frozen to death."

Deidara peeked at Sasori from beneath his arms, before he nonchalantly returned to nursing his sore head. "Whatever, un. You could have fucking warned me that your fucking puppet didn't have any headroom, Danna." Sasori raised an eyebrow, having expected a more bewildered reaction to his real self being revealed.

"You don't even seem the least bit surprised, Brat." Deidara sneezed several times, and Sasori guessed that he had probably caught a cold. "This is my real self."

"I fucking know that, un!" Deidara hissed slightly, but stopped nursing his skull, putting his hands onto the base of Hiruko. He sneered lightly at Sasori, but his look soon melted slightly as he regained his composure. "I've known for awhile. Your chakra is different from other people; it was coming from inside of you, rather than all of you, so I guessed that the real you was just inside of this puppet." He gave a small sigh, rubbing the sore part of his head drolly. "So what the fuck happened? All I remember is falling asleep, and now I'm inside of this fucking cramped puppet. Did you have your way with my unconscious body or something, un?" He shot Sasori an accusing look, and the red head gave him a sneer of disdain.

"What the hell are you talking about, Brat? Why the hell would I ever want to have sex with you?" He scoffed and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Just as I said it would, the snow drifted into the cave. You got covered in the stuff, and when I woke up you had almost frozen to death. So I brought you into Hiruko and used body heat to try to-" Deidara cut him off with a quick sneeze, "…to try to keep you alive. Now seeing as it succeeded…" He opened the puppet's hatch, "Get the fuck out."

Deidara straightened up his back; the fear of hitting his head lost, and stretched his stiff muscles, though remained seated. "So it's called 'Hiruko', un? It's the fucking ugliest thing I've ever seen." He yawned and looked once again at the red head, slowly blinking his eyes. Sasori scoffed at the blonde's wandering eyes and dispelled his Jutsu. Deidara jumped slightly as the red head's body reverted back to that of a sixteen year old's, his cloak off to reveal his puppet self. For once the blonde was silent as he stared at the odd features that had formed.

Sasori rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "I converted my own body into a puppet when I was sixteen so that I could become Eternal. What you saw earlier was simply a Jutsu I had to use in order to create body heat."

"…" The blonde's face slowly altered into that of awe as he stared at Sasori's puppet body…That was odd…The usual reaction for people when they saw his puppet body was either shock or disgust. Like when Orochimaru had seen his true self, the snake had told him that it was a waste. What would Deidara's spoken reaction be? "…That's…Fucking cool…" The blonde put a hand out, clearly with the intent of touching Sasori's chest cavity.

The red head quickly attached chakra strings to Deidara, stopping his movements. He sneered at the blonde in disgust, "Don't you dare try and touch me, Brat." After a few seconds he released his strings on Deidara, and the kid actually followed his orders, folding his hands into his lap calmly. As he slowly quietened down, so did Sasori's quick temper. He outwardly sighed, and slowly blinked at the blonde. "If you must know, I have Haptephobia…That means that-"

"I know what that means, un." Deidara said it rather offended, giving Sasori a slightly hurt look. "Phobia of being touched; I'm not half as stupid as you think I am, un." The blonde pouted and crossed his arms childishly, "It's not my fault that you hate me."

Sasori frowned and was about to counter, when he realised…He really did despise the blonde…He loathed him so much…"Okay, point taken; I _hate_ you."

Deidara blinked at him, most likely having been awaiting a different answer. "Why, un? I try not to be too bad." Sasori scoffed and pulled his Akatsuki cloak back on, methodically buttoning it up.

The red head actually had to think about the question before he could devise an answer…Deidara argued with him…But Sasori argued back…The blonde thought that art was fleeting! Well, he was somewhat entitled to his own opinion - even if it was wrong…He complained a lot…But only when he really did have something to complain about…

Sasori realised that the blonde actually wasn't altogether that bad. He hadn't hated Orochimaru, even though the snake had been – honestly - creepy. Deidara certainly wasn't creepy…And he hadn't hated Kurow even though she had actually been quite a boring partner…Deidara was anything but boring!

And yet, Sasori utterly loathed him!

He frowned in further thought as he delved deeper, until he finally came to a sudden realisation. "I hate you…" Sasori had already lost two partners; his subconscious had utterly refused to get attached to this new kid in fear that he would end up like the others. That way, when the blonde did ultimately meet his end - as Sasori knew he eventually would - then the red head would only find satisfaction in his death…And then he finally had his answer. "I hate you, because I _need_ to hate you."

Deidara gave a slight frown, opening his mouth, but he seemed to change his mind. Instead of questioning Sasori's reasoning, he appeared to decide to change the subject back to what it had originally been. "So you have a phobia of being touched? That's kind of ironic since you're supposed to be a medical-nin, un…" He raised an eyebrow at Sasori, "But wait a second…Just before when I was frozen to death - and all that shit - you didn't seem to care about touching me, un."

Sasori scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Well, in a life or death situation it is viable to temporarily get over my phobia. But unless you are literally dying, if I were you, I wouldn't even try to touch me. Got it?"

Deidara had the audacity to give a mischievous smirk at the red head. "My, now I see why you set rule number six, un. My Danna is actually quite sexy…As both a human and a puppet, un~" The blonde tried to scoot closer to the red head, but Sasori didn't give him the privilege. He attached chakra strings to Deidara and practically flung him out of Hiruko's hatch, making the blonde slam into the cave wall. He cursed and fell to the ground as Sasori let go of his chakra threads.

Deidara started to nurse his skull as he always did when suffering a head injury. "I hate you so much, Brat." Hiruko's hatch snapped shut with a snap and the puppet sauntered to the front of the cave. It was dawn, and Sasori decided that Deidara had had enough of a break. "Now let's go, we still have a mission to accomplish." The blonde stopped nursing his sore skull and stood up, wrinkling his nose in distaste. But when he went to complain, a sneeze took the place of his comment.

Sasori rolled his eyes and made Hiruko lurch out of the cave, leaving Deidara no choice but to follow like the loyal dog that Sasori was desperately trying to convert him into. It was rather difficult to turn someone into his puppet without actually killing them, and the blonde was the hardest case he had had so far. Usually if his title wasn't enough, then converting a good few people into puppets before one's eyes was enough to earn their freewill. And yet, Deidara had seen him convert people a number of times in the past, and still the blonde was never as compliant as Sasori wished him to be.

But everyone had their breaking point, and the red head had yet to meet anyone who could not be turned into his living puppet. Some had taken a very short amount of time to train, such as Chiyo, Daichi and Kurow. Others had been reasonably difficult, like Orochimaru, Jishaku and Misaki Sensei. While a certain someone had been almost impossible to train, that being Karura. Deidara was actually quite similar to that girl…He had managed to eventually break her freewill, and this blonde would be of no exception.

Deidara's imaginary freedom would eventually crumble, and the blonde would soon realise that he was nothing more than a marionette, guided by the strings of the world's greatest Puppet Master in the most complicated performance ever executed.

The performance known as Sasori of the Red Sand's life.


	38. Candles

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Candles

Sasori and Deidara walked through the snow in almost silence, with the blonde chatting away to himself as he tended to do. In Hiruko's tail was clutched the man who had been escaping Doto, conscious but quiet. He seemed to know already the fate that awaited him at the castle, but he had already tried bargaining with the two Akatsuki members - failing of course. So the man had now given up and was mostly limp with dread in the clutches of Hiruko's scorpion tail. Deidara gave a sneeze as they continued to walk, giving a small moan of rue.

"Danna, I think I caught a cold, un. You're a medical-nin; can't you come up with a cure or something?" Sasori just continued moving forwards, occupied with his own thoughts. With the mission almost complete, he finally had time to think about the dream that he had had earlier. There really wasn't much sense to it, and yet one small occurrence in the nightly imaging had caused him to become a tiny bit baffled, which was far too much for him to bear. He continued to think it over, replaying the scene about twenty-million times in his head. Asuko had turned into Deidara. Now, that didn't seem that odd at first, but Sasori had then realised just how similar the two Iwagakure Shinobi looked.

Inside of Hiruko, Sasori had managed to hunt down his old sketch book. It was worn and battered, having not been opened for a long time. The elegant white lines that had covered the lizard-skin cover and the binding of the book were barely noticeable, and no longer was it the paradise scene which he had first seen it to be. But he didn't need the markings to remember what it had once looked like. The image had revealed the fate that had been selected and expected of him since he had been born. Sasori was supposed to have become the Kazekage of Sunagakure. He had been fated to bring the nations together into peaceful times. The red head was supposed to be a hero.

And yet, something along the path had gone wrong, and his future had dropped into his own hands. And he had broken it. Sasori had squeezed his predetermined future until it had shattered into nothing but dust. Until it was dead.

Something which Sunagakure had not foreseen had altered the red head's future forever. But what had the event been? The death of his parents, learning puppetry, killing Daichi, trying to earn everyone's respect? Something along the line had messed him up. The village had expected him to become the Kazekage and to bring the world together. Instead Sasori had ended up as an Akatsuki member, with the ideology that he could only bring the world together by ripping it apart.

In order to live forever, one had to die first.

Sasori flipped through the book using one hand, using his other hand to guide Hiruko ever forward. He finally reached the gap between the last page and the back cover of the sketch book. On the paper was a crude drawing of Sasori, Daichi and Karura. A picture he had drawn when he had been but eight years old; before he had become corrupted.

It wasn't his parent's death that had made him into the person he was to day, but it had certainly played a major factor. Sasori payed the drawing no further attention, and he turned his gaze to the flat flower that had been there for a long time. It had been firmly pressed, and looked no older than when Sasori had first plucked it from the ground. The pink was still bright within its petals, and as the red head picked it up, a memory flashed in his mind.

A thirteen year old girl was paralysed on the patch of grass and flowers. Her golden blonde hair was splayed everywhere. An innocent eight year old had sat next to her with a kunai knife dangling from his hand. And yet he had not killed her. The child lifted the girl's limp hand and slipped his Dove bracelet onto her wrist. A child's nursery rhyme played in his head, and the story behind it was made noticeable.

In the tale of Nimble-Still-Creep, the woman had given the stranger her bracelet. And then she had promised her son to the ANBU as well. In the end, she not only lost her child, but also her life. Both the bracelet and her son had ended up in the possession of Nimble-Still-Creep…

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN FUCKING LISTENING TO ME, UN!" The blonde gave a growl and Sasori was brought back out of his thoughts. "FINE THEN, I JUST WON'T FUCKING TALK! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT YOU FUCKING BASTARD?"

The red head gave a sigh and once again shifted to Hiruko's consciousness. "Listen, Brat, it's about time we had a nice little discussion. You have been an Akatsuki member for a year now, so it is about time I told you this. You are a member of an S-Ranked Organisation, so stop with all the useless chattering. Akatsuki members are not talkative in the least, and I expect you to be the same. We are supposed to be calm, uncaring, and cool. If others thought that we were chatter-boxers who went on and on about insignificant occurrences, just think about what would happen to our reputation. I will only tell you this once, so-"

"Man, Danna, shut up already. You talk way too fucking much, un." Sasori abruptly stopped walking, and Deidara blinked at him. The next thing the blonde knew, the red head had flung the captured researcher man at him. Deidara gave a cry but wasn't able to avoid getting hit by the white-haired male. Both fell backwards into the piles of white snow, and the blonde gave a groan of pain.

Sasori scoffed and used Hiruko's tail to pick Deidara up with a grip tight enough to bruise. The blonde sneered in defeat, moping to himself. The red head had given him this treatment enough times for him to know that there was no escape. Sasori shot the white-haired man a glare, and said male quickly got to his feet. "You're walking. Don't argue." The researcher paled significantly and he quickly nodded, preferring the cruel fate of the castle to the puppet's wrath. "Good." They all started forward with Deidara continuing to pout as Sasori painfully carried him, both his body and dignity being wounded at once.

-x-

They were on the boat back to the Land of Waterfalls, both silently standing on the bow of the ship. Sasori had once again been thinking about the dream, and he at last decided to question the blonde about it. "Deidara, why don't you tell me about your family?"

The fifteen year old gave a questioning noise, still rubbing his sore arms where he undoubtedly had bruises. He gave a sneeze and coughed into his hand a few times. The mouth of his palm reacted by oddly coughing back up at him. Sasori found it distasteful, but made no vocal complaints about how weird the blonde was. How the hell did he even get hand mouths anyway? "Why do you want to know about my fami-…Okay, I'll tell you as long as you come up with a cure for this fucking cold, un."

Sasori gave a sigh, "Deal, it probably won't take long to mix anyway. Now don't keep me waiting."

Deidara rolled his eyes and mumbled something about not being talkative and Sasori being a hypocrite, before he began to answer the red head. "Well, my father died before I was even born, so I never knew him. No siblings either, though I had a twin brother but he died a few weeks after birth." Deidara gave a simple shrug, clearly aloof about the topic. Okay, the blonde was more like Karura than he had first thought. "My mum was nice, a real prideful woman, un. I inherited my Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai from her, so she taught me when I was three years old and she was utterly against sending me to the Academy. She didn't trust anyone else with my training as I was the only thing she had left in the world. But she died when I was four years old, so she didn't supervise my entire training." Deidara gave a shrug and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "There isn't much else to tell. She was killed during the fight against Sunagakure after you kidnapped the Third Kazekage, un. After that the Third Tsuchikage trained me until I was thirteen - until I stole a forbidden scroll and fled Iwagakure. The Kinjutsu is what gave me the extra mouths, just for the record." He smirked at Sasori and revealed his left palm, sticking the tongue out at the puppet. "Totally cool, right? Then I became a terrorist for hire until the Akatsuki dragged me into their ranks, un."

Sasori scoffed, looking out at the sun which had already begun its descent. "I just wanted to know about your family; not your life story, Brat." Deidara gave a sneeze and a sniffle, sickly rubbing his nose. "Now this mother of yours, did she have a silver bracelet with a Dove carved on it?"

The blonde blinked at the red head, seeming not at all taken aback by the enquiry. He gave Sasori a calculating looked for a few seconds, before giving a subtle frown. "Not that I know of, un. She died when I was like four years old, so it's not like I remember every little fucking detail about her." He shrugged and ended the topic by giving an involuntary sneeze.

Sasori sighed, somewhat relieved by the talk. Asuko couldn't have been Deidara's mother, he was just being paranoid. "Very well, I'm going to go below deck. I'll have the cure for your cold done in about an hour." The red head turned the puppet around and sauntered off, with Deidara remaining at the bow to watch the sunset alone.

-x-

Sasori was out of Hiruko due to a strange feeling that he had been having for several days now. Deidara was out getting something to eat, while the red head was lighting a series of candles that he had bought from a merchant a few days prior. Sasori had set the wax-sticks up in a circle, and had already drawn a number of chakra markings around the area. He lit the last of the candles - that being a large white one which sat at the front of the circle - as it was the main reason for this entire ceremony of sorts.

Sasori, with all the candles lit, took a seat in the centre of the fire-surrounded circle. He closed his eyes and meditated for a few minutes in silence with his eyes closed. The red head slowly sent chakra out of his body, seeping it into the candles gradually. Sasori opened his brown eyes once more and initiated the technique. He watched as the reactions took place amongst the circle. Flames flickered ever brighter; some abruptly extinguished themselves, while several of the candles even exploded. Sasori watched the white wax-stick as the flame flickered unsteadily. He stared at the candle intently, waiting to see what the fire would do.

It suddenly went out.

A small trail of grey smoke rose from the extinguished flame, and Sasori's suspicions were proven to be true. The door took that moment to open and Deidara traipsed calmly into the room, an unfinished dango hanging from his mouth. He blinked at the red head and looked around at all of the candles that surrounded him. Deidara removed the dango from his mouth and gave Sasori a blank look. "Since when were you a part of satanic worship, un?"

The red head sneered at the blonde, and all of the flames went out as he lost his concentration. Whatever; he had already found out the information he had needed. "It isn't a cult ritual, Brat. It is a ceremony linked with my Sleeper Jutsu, and every one of these candles represents one of my agents."

Deidara looked around at the crimson waxen-sticks, raising an eyebrow in interest. "Okay, why do some look like they blew up, and how come they are all red except for that one?" The blonde pointed to the single white candle which sat stolid in front of Sasori.

The red head rolled his eyes and stood up, beginning to seal the candles inside of a scroll. "During the ceremony - as I said - each candle represents an agent of mine. The candles that exploded symbolise underlings which have passed away. If the flame is simply extinguished, then that means that my Jutsu has been removed, either by myself or by some other source. I had been having an odd feeling the past few days, and this seems to suggest that I was correct." He gave a shrug and pointed to the white waxen-stick which he still had yet to put away. "This candle represents my underling that I sent to Orochimaru. You remember him, right?"

"Yeah, of course I do, un. The asshole that thought that he could fucking kill me." Deidara sneered and sat down on the one single bed of the inn room, taking a bite of his dango. "So what about him? Has he finally bit the dust, un?"

"Not exactly." Sasori finished sealing the red candles into his scroll and he picked up the white waxen-stick. "Kabuto is still alive, but my memory Jutsu has ceased working on his mentality, even though I have not removed it." He shrugged and slipped the candle into the scroll with the others, rolling the paper up and putting it away in one of Hiruko's compartments.

"So…Do you reckon he has removed the seal himself, un?" Deidara lay back on the bed sheets, beginning to pick his teeth with the dango skewer.

"No; that is impossible as the only other way to remove the seal is to take it out of the victim's brain. One could not possibly do that to themselves. Even if I were to miraculously die, the Jutsu would still continue. Over years the seal may weaken and eventually break, but Kabuto has only been under the Jutsu for a year. It is much more likely that Orochimaru had something to do with it…" He gave a sigh and sat down inside of Hiruko, running a hand through his hair. "Well there goes my plan; Kabuto will probably use the opportunity of meeting us at the bridge in four years to set up an ambush or something." Sasori cursed in frustration, getting the sudden urge to add someone to his collection of 224 human puppets. With the only one in a close proximity being Deidara, the red head was forced to not act upon his wishes. "I hate Orochimaru even more than I hate you."

"I'll kill him for you, Danna." The blonde sat up and looked reassuringly at the red head, placing the skewer on the bed-side-table. "I'll kill Orochimaru. I mean," Deidara smirked confidently at Sasori, "I can't have you hating someone more than you hate me, un. I'll kill that Kabuto kid as well, just to prove a thing or two to him!"

Sasori thought for a few seconds, before he picked up his medical pouch. "Very well; if we encounter the two of them, I'll let you do away with them." The red head stood up and stepped calmly out of Hiruko. "But there is something that I need to do to you, just to be sound with some information…" Deidara tensed and blinked at Sasori, suddenly cautious of him as the red head moved towards him.

"What the fuck are you on about?" Sasori simply remained stoic and he casually attached chakra strings to the blonde. Deidara's eyes widened and his body stilled as the red head took control of it. Sasori felt the blonde struggle against his chakra threads, but to no avail.

"Don't worry; you will be fine - just trust me." The red head kneeled in front of the blonde, who still sat frozen on the bed. He searched for something inside of his medical pouch and gave a successful noise when he found it. Sasori held the item up to show the blonde. "This will only be painful for a few seconds." Deidara's eyes stared at the red head, unbelieving and dejected. Sasori made the blonde lean his head closer to him, and the red head brushed the younger male's hair bang from over his face, revealing the eye scope which they had recently bought.

Sasori carefully took the device off and he looked into Deidara's left eye which was always hidden by the curtain of locks, it being the same icy blue as his other was. Sasori brought the small needle to the blonde's forget-me-not-blue eye and imbedded it in the centre of his pupil.

He felt another struggle against the chakra strings which held the blonde, but Deidara was no match against the puppet master. Sasori attached threads to the needle and pushed it further inside the youth's head, slicing it through his brain until it reached the correct position.

"Now, after I use this Jutsu you will not remember the location in which our meeting with Kabuto took place, or the site for the meeting in four years time. The Tenchi Bridge, as far as you will know, was a place we went by that had absolutely no significance. Got it? Good." The red head pulled his hands away and made a half ram seal with his left hand. Sasori brought his right hand up to Deidara's face in the usual arrangement. Thumb on the blonde's right cheek, pinkie on left, and middle digits on his forehead. "Activate."

Deidara's eyes abruptly widened and Sasori was able to release his chakra threads. The blonde's blue orbs fluttered slightly, "…Danna…" Deidara gave a small whine and his eyelids slipped shut. The blonde fell forward as he became insentient, his head landing on Sasori's shoulder. He rolled his eyes in disgust and forced himself to forget about his Haptephobia for a few minutes.

Sasori lifted the limp blonde up in his arms and carefully repositioned Deidara meticulously on the bed so that his head rested on the soft pillows. The red head looked at the sleeping fifteen year old before he gave a simple sneer. Sasori pulled the blanket from underneath the 'child' and draped it half tenderly over Deidara's unconscious form. He leaned down and placed his hand over the blonde's closed left eye, healing the small incision wound of the needle in no time at all.

He pulled away and looked half solemnly at the young kid. The red head shook his head in abhorrence, glaring at the blonde while mentally scolding himself. "Stupid Brat, why the hell do I even bother?" Sasori shook his head again and picked up his medical pouch, traipsing back over to Hiruko. He was so _underappreciated_.


	39. A Poisoned Kiss

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirty-Nine

A Poisoned Kiss

Deidara sat up slowly, clutching lightly at his skull and giving a pained groan. "Fuck, my head hurts like a bitch…" He sneered and leisurely looked around the room until his gaze fell onto the red head. Sasori sat on the floor and was currently in the process of turning a person into a puppet. Red covered his hands and a pile of organs sat next to him, already removed. By now he was almost finished de-fleshing the skin of the corpse, and he was enthralled within his work. It felt good to be making a puppet with his own hands as opposed to using Hiruko's. Deidara gazed at him for a few seconds, giving a sneer, completely unfazed by the sight of Sasori slicing a human up. "What the fuck is with the dead body, un?"

"Language, Brat." Sasori continued to meticulously and methodically perform the conversion of the random mortal. "I was bored, so I decided to go out and snag a nice new marionette."

Deidara gave a yawn and stretched his arms in a fashion eerily similar to a feline. He abruptly stilled and shot the red head a look of utter rage. "Hang on, un…YOU'RE THE FUCKING REASON I WAS UNCONSCIOUS, YOU FUCKING ASS! YOU SHOVED A FUCKING NEEDLE INTO MY FUCKING HEAD! IT HURT LIKE A FUCKING BITCH! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO ME, UN?"

Sasori gave a sigh and looked away from his work, giving Deidara a bored expression. "Do not worry, Brat. I just removed a memory that I decided you didn't need." The blonde seemed alarmed by this.

"YOU DID _WHAT_?" He frowned deeply to himself and then fell silent; most likely trying to remember what it was he still remembered. "…I can't recall what memory I've forgotten, un…"

Sasori gave the blonde an even more torpid look, shaking his head in faux concern. "That is the entire point." He sighed and went back to working on his latest puppet. "But don't worry; I didn't get rid of anything important. If I was really meddling with your memory, then I would have deleted the memory of me taking your memories." Deidara gave him a vapid gaze, raising an eyebrow subtly. "…Precisely Brat."

The blonde gave a sigh and continued to silently think, trying to realise just what it was he had forgotten. "…" His eyes widened and he glared at Sasori. "That's it, un! Kabuto! I can't remember where we met him!" Deidara sneered at the red head and clutched at his head in concentration. "I can see Kabuto…and you…But everywhere else is just darkness…And…" He took his hand away, and looked at Sasori, slightly awed. "So I can't remember where it is we're going to meet him, un…Why?"

Sasori continued to calmly work on the future puppet. "Don't be alarmed; it's just because I do not want you acting independently in the case of something happening." He shrugged and Deidara ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Okay, I get it, un; you don't trust me." He stretched his arms and lay back down, getting into a comfortable position. "You don't even realise how weird it is to know that you have a needle inside of your brain. God, I have a major fucking headache now. Sleepy sleepy, un…' He yawned and almost instantly fell asleep.

Sasori rolled his eyes and continued to work on his puppet, finally finished with de-fleshing the body. The blonde actually took that fairly well.

-x-

Thirty Two Years Old

"Danna…" Sasori looked over at Deidara, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why did Orochimaru leave the Akatsuki, un?"

Sasori gave a sigh and turned back to Hiruko as he began to make sure that the puppet was fully functional. "Because Itachi turned him down."

Deidara blinked at him in confusion, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

The red head rolled his eyes and began to tell the blonde. "Orochimaru developed a Soul Transfer Jutsu where he steals another person's body. He tried to take Itachi's in order to gain the Sharingan, but he failed. My sources tell me that since then Orochimaru has been transferring to younger, healthier bodies in the hopes of living forever."

Deidara gave a snort and a chuckle. "Well that's fucking stupid." The red head looked back over to the blonde, giving a questioning sound. "Life's only beautiful…" Deidara opened his hand to reveal a clay butterfly which fluttered swiftly into the air. The blonde made a half ram seal and the thing exploded like a firework. "Because it is so fleeting…So transient, un."

Sasori sneered and gave a snort, glaring slightly at the blonde. He turned back to Hiruko and stood up carefully. "What is the point in something that withers as soon as it is born?" He stepped inside of Hiruko and casually sat down. "True beauty lies is something which lasts for an Eternity. Never rotting, and never fading." He shut Hiruko and took control over the puppet's consciousness.

Deidara gave a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Sure Danna, whatever you say…Okay, then how about you tell-"

"**Hey, you two.**" They were both faintly surprised to see the figure of Zetsu appearing out of the floor. "Yo, long time no see!" For the past year, Sasori and Deidara had been receiving their missions via a messenger hawk. "**We are here to give you some information. A few days ago Kisame and Itachi both went to Konohagakure to try and retrieve a beast known as a Jinchuriki. Sasori, you should remember this all from when we sealed the five tails and seven tails, so this is mostly for Deidara. These are beings that host Bijuu, also known as Tailed Beasts. It is Akatsuki's objective to capture these creatures in order to achieve our plans. As I said, Itachi and Kisame were sent to detain the Nine Tailed Fox Jinchuriki, but failed due to one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, getting in the way.**" The Nine Tailed Fox? For some reason that sounded familiar…Sasori remembered back twelve years prior to when he had first truly joined Akatsuki, when he had met Orochimaru outside of Konohagakure…

(Flash Back)

_Sasori made Hiruko frown and he turned to follow the snake's gaze. He was taken aback by what he saw. A giant red creature stood inside of the village walls._

_It was enormous compared to the rest of the surroundings, and the creature looked utterly enraged. Sasori watched as what appeared to be a giant fox - or a similar creature - began to terrorize Konohagakure. The red head stared and tried to count the various whipping tails which were flying about wildly in the air above the village. He counted roughly nine, even though the tails were moving so ferociously fast. Sasori continued to watch it for a few seconds before turning back to Orochimaru. "Did you have something to do with this?"_

_The snake didn't take his eyes from the monster, but a smirk formed on his lips. "I wish…Such power…"_

(End of flashback)

…So that was what that thing had been…A 'Bijuu'. And they had to capture them…But…Hadn't the Demon Statue been broken nine years ago?

"**Leader has decided that in three years time, our plan will commence. Understood?" **Deidara gave a nod, but Sasori was not satisfied.

"Hang on a minute, when we sealed the seven tails, wasn't that sealing statue thing broken?" Sasori gave a frown, and remembered back to when he was twenty-three years old, when-

-o-

…I mean…Ummm…Nothing. Nothing happened when I was twenty-three…Seriously; I wouldn't lie to you…

_I told you that he was bias._

Shut up, Brat!

-o-

Zetsu gave a nod at Sasori, giving a slight hum. **"Leader has managed to repair it. He believes that he has also found out why it became broken in the first place, but he will not share this with us just yet, so I can not tell you anything further. Now we must be off, goodbye."**

-x-

Sasori sat in the field of flowers with his eyes shut, enjoying the peace and serenity. He sensed the wind tussling his hair and could almost image the fragrance that lingered in the air around him. Sasori opened his brown eyes and looked around at the marvellous sight. The grass was long and an unnatural green colouration. The sun was a brilliant red, and the sky beyond was pink and cloudless. The glade was covered in beautiful flowers and brilliant butterflies, a sight that was truly artistic. Yet it wasn't real…

"Why the fuck are you just sitting- WHAT THE FUCK?" Sasori blinked and looked over to his left to see Deidara standing there. He was looking around hastily, clearly caught in the red head's illusion world. Sasori was slightly taken aback by this as he didn't think it possible for people to enter his Jutsu so easily.

He rolled his eyes and got to his feet, running a hand through his hair. "Relax, Brat. You're just caught in a Jutsu called 'Bringer-of-Illusions'. Technically we are still in the hotel room; it's just an imaginary world which I like to sometimes go to."

Deidara seemed to calm down somewhat, looking around a lot slower; now he seemed awed by the beauty that surrounded him. "Whoa…This is actually kind of cool, un…"

Sasori blinked at the blonde and decided to show him a truly breathtaking sight. The red head clicked his fingers and the scenery swiftly changed. They were suddenly standing on the shoreline, with the setting sun close to the water's surface. Deidara blinked, amazed by the world. "What's your favourite colour?"

The blonde blinked over at him and gave a small frown, "Blue." Sasori nodded and clicked his fingers, causing the sun to alter into said colour. Deidara stared in bewilderment at the now azure sun, watching as it descended. "Okay, now that's just awesome…"

That was when it hit the red head. He had always thought of this world as fake. But the serenity which he always felt while in the illusion was real. And right now, Deidara and the enjoyment which the blonde felt was also real.

"…I'll show you something that is really 'awesome'." Sasori clicked his fingers and the sun finally set below the horizon. The world went dark for a few seconds until a full moon began to rise up to take the sun's place. The sky was starless and the light illuminated off of the round white circle onto the water's surface. Sasori made it shine brighter, and he clicked his fingers. White roses grew out of the sand, the moon reflecting off of their brilliant petals. Deidara stared in wonder, and Sasori almost smirked. He clicked his digits once again, and finished off the scene.

Water droplets sprayed into the air majestically, and changed form until they turned into brilliant fireflies which glowed with such illumination, that it was a truly glorious sight to behold. They floated in the air, reflecting on the waters surface while slowly scattering. The insects gently twirled in the air, surrounding the duo harmlessly. Deidara stared at the creatures, and he suddenly started to laugh in amazement.

Sasori listened to the blonde's laughter and actually gave a very slight smile at seeing how stupidly happy this world made the sixteen year old. The red head sat down on the sand and Deidara took a seat next to him. The red head didn't know why he was doing it; all that he knew was that he wanted to make the blonde as happy as possible.

It was a need which originated from something unknown in his past which had somehow survived through the years of turmoil. It was a need to impress and to gain acceptance; even from those who were below him.

"You don't have Haptephobia, un." Deidara turned his head and calmly smiled at Sasori as if he knew everything. The blonde put his hand forward and rested it against the red head's cheek. Sasori almost killed the blonde, but settled for pushing him away from him. Deidara sneered ever so slightly as he fell back into the sand, but he quickly sat up again, giving a smirk. "I'll even prove that you don't have it."

The next thing Sasori knew, they were tumbling along the sand. When the duo finally stilled, Deidara was on top of the red head and he was smirking down at him successfully. And that was when he did it.

The blonde leaned down and _kissed _Sasori of the Red Sand on the lips.

The red head couldn't feel it - due to him being a puppet - but for a second he thought that he could. Soft lips pressing against his own in a too tender fashion.

But then he actually realised what the fuck was going on.

He was kissing him. He was kissing him. THE FUCKING BRAT WAS _KISSING_ _HIM_! Sasori did the first thing that came to mind.

He stabbed the blonde with his poisoned stomach cable.

Deidara pulled away to give a chocked pained noise, sneering down at Sasori. "WHAT THE F-" He cut himself off and his face paled as the poison began to take effect. Sasori sneered and retracted his stomach cable, shoving Deidara off of him. The red head ended the Jutsu and the beautiful illusion world shattered like simple glass. Sasori stood up, still angered by the blonde's audacity. Deidara was currently writhing in pain, clutching at his bleeding wound. "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM, UN?"

Sasori sneered and stormed back over to the blonde, kneeling on Deidara's waist. He shoved his shoulders to the floor viciously and sadistically pressed his hand harshly against the blonde's wound. Deidara gasped in sharp pain, and Sasori simply pressed painfully harder. An injury in such a place could be fatal if left untreated. He had purposely missed vital organs, but there was still the possibility of Deidara bleeding to death. He used his Tender Touch Technique to heal the wound painfully slowly, but that didn't stop the poison. It would take three days to kill the blonde, and of course Sasori would be forced to give him the antidote before that, but he would enjoy seeing Deidara suffer for a day or two in revenge.

How _DARE _the blonde try something so fucking _WRONG_! Sasori got off of him as soon as the wound was healed and grabbed him by his pony tail, dragging the blonde over to the bed. Deidara tried to fight against him, but it was futile. The red head flung the blonde onto the bed and gave him a sneer. "Don't. Touch. Me. _**EVER**_!" With that said, he stormed over to Hiruko, locking himself inside of the puppet to let the blonde suffer due to the poison.

-x-

It was day number two of poisoning Deidara, and he was still writhing in pain. Sasori had finally decided that he couldn't let the blonde suffer much longer, or else the poison could actually kill him. He had already mixed the antidote for it, and he was currently testing it to make sure that it had been combined properly. There was no room for error, and even the slightest mistake could kill the blonde. It was extremely complex, and despite the fact that the red head had concocted it, he still had to examine the mix ration table while brewing the antidote.

Eventually Sasori decided that it was perfect, and he moved over to the bed where Deidara lay groaning in pain. He was drenched in sweat, and his Akatsuki cloak, eye-scope and new fishnet shirt lay unused on the ground. "Now Brat, what is the moral of the story?" The blonde managed to open his right eye slowly to give Sasori a slight glare, but he quickly shut it again as another sting of pain coursed through his body.

Sasori sat down on the bed and roughly took the blonde's left arm, immediately stabbing his bicep with the needle. Deidara cried out on pain but cut him self off as the stinging sensation ebbed. He gave a small, relieved whine as his body went numb and the antidote rid him of all pain. Sasori removed the syringe from Deidara's bicep carefully and stood up. For sterilisation purposes he tossed the used needle into the small rubbish bin of the inn, before turning back to the blonde. Deidara was curling up into the bed, trying to get into a comfortable position after several long days of turmoil.

Sasori sneered and walked back over to the blonde, grabbing his arm tightly. Deidara whimpered and looked up at the red head, managing to open both of his eyes tiredly. "Tell me what the moral of the story is." The blonde blinked at him slowly, and then gave a small smirk up at Sasori.

"The moral of the story is…" He gave a yawn and moved his head back down onto the pillow, closing his eyes. "My Danna has a bad temper, un~" Deidara yawned and easily fell asleep in two seconds flat. Sasori sneered and let go of the blonde's arm, hoping that Deidara had somehow learnt his lesson…If only he were so lucky.

-x-

The Akatsuki duo had been walking along a pathway, headed to their new mission destination, when a voice sounded in their heads. _"Akatsuki, we are having a meeting."_

Deidara blinked in confusion and looked over at the red head - who was safe inside of Hiruko. "Did you say something, un?"

"No, come on." Sasori turned and sauntered off of the path into the throng of trees with Deidara following behind him. He found a spot which was out of the way and seemed to be appropriate to settle in. "Sit down and concentrate. Akatsuki are having a meeting." Deidara nodded and sat on the ground, making a half ram seal. He closed his eyes in concentration and Sasori did the same.

No longer were they in a forest. The red head appeared inside of a cave full of stalactites and stalagmites, with the sound of dripping water filling the air. A chuckle was suddenly heard, and a voice that Sasori had not heard in a while spoke out. "So, how long has it even been since we've all come together for a meeting like this?"

Sasori gave a thoughtful hum as he quickly calculated, "Seven years…Not since Orochimaru left us…" The holograms of the other Akatsuki members surrounded him. Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, Konan, Pein, Kakuzu, Zetsu, and an unknown member who was probably Kakuzu's latest partner.

"And now Orochimaru has the Sharingan…" It was difficult to work out who the voice belonged to, but Sasori didn't let it bother him.

"Is that true Itachi? Your little brother…" Hmmm? That was some new information…Sasori had always thought that the Uchiha had killed off his entire clan…Well, he had heard some rumours that there was another one left aside from Itachi, but he had thought it just to be false…

"There's no need to be impatient, un~" Sasori easily recognised the voice of Deidara, and he looked to see that the blonde's hologram was hanging from the roof by his feet…Of course the kid had to be different… "We'll deal with our old 'friend' Orochimaru in due time, un." Deidara gave a chortle, as if he had known the snake first hand. "We only have three years in which to prepare, and we all know what we need to do in the meantime, right?" He gave another cruel chuckle, clearly already at ease with the whole hologram meeting.

"Of course." Sasori immediately knew that the voice belonged to Akatsuki's charismatic leader, Pein. "We will tolerate no mistakes…Remember what it is we seek…" The hologram of Leader looked around the cave at his minions, his sight lingering on Deidara for a few seconds more than the others. Sasori guessed that Pein was quite delighted that Deidara had managed to survive two years with the puppet already. His sight soon left the blonde's hologram and continued to look at the rest of the Akatsuki members. "We seek everything…Including the Nine Tailed Fox."


	40. A Gift Part One

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty

A Gift Part One

"Now, I shall reveal the goal that we are trying to achieve. I have devised it, and I have sorted our efforts into three simple steps." Pein closed his odd eyes for a few seconds before opening them once again. "Our first stage is to gain a mass opulence. After we collect enough money, we will use it to form the Shinobi World's first true mercenary organisation. But we shall not demote ourselves to a simple Shinobi Village – we won't work for a single country - because these villages need war in order to be sustained. And because there have been no wars for fourteen years, many Shinobi have been losing their jobs due to smaller countries having to cut their expenses. Those who have been trained in the way of the Shinobi - who have put their lives on the line to save those who are precious to them - are practically abandoned. Of course the Five Great Countries and their villages of Konohagakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure and Kirigakure are far away from suffering any such danger. But this does not work for the smaller villages. If they are forced to lessen their military too dramatically and then if a war were to break out, they would not survive."

All of the Akatsuki members listened in almost awe to their Leader's wise words. It was true; whilst a war was not socially beneficial, it was an amazingly positive factor to the economy.

Pein was a _very_ charismatic man - and he had the other S-Ranked criminals hanging onto his every word.

"What we are doing will change everything! We have no loyalty to any country! We assemble only when necessary; we use our most suitable Shinobi for the missions that best suit their expertise! We take over the small villages and the minor countries; build up our own army to bring war! We'll take any mission for little cost, and as the word spreads, our plan shall proceed further. We will use the Bijuu we attain to create _our own wars_!"

The Akatsuki were silent as their Leader seemed to calm back down slightly, having been enthralled by his own plan.

"Even the most significant villages shall collapse into oblivion, and they will eventually be forced to use Akatsuki's forces. Only when this is complete will we have finally achieved our true goal…" He put a hand forward, as if he could imagine that intangible thing sitting in his very palm. "We will control the entire world…"

The whole cave was unbelievably quiet as the admiration that they felt for their charismatic Leader deepened and his true intelligence was revealed. One who could look at the world with such a down-to-earth view point must have seen some terrible misfortune in his life. Even Sasori found him self develop a new found respect for Pein.

He hadn't paired him with Deidara just to piss the red head off; Leader had absolutely no ulterior motive for partnering him with someone who was his exact opposite. Sasori was one of the strongest members of the Akatsuki, and he was possibly the smartest ever since Orochimaru. If any one could turn an infuriating Brat into a true Akatsuki member, it had to be Sasori. Pein was actually wise enough to have known this. He had not been irked off at the red head at all, if anything he had put his faith in Sasori, which was something quite shocking.

Pein trusted him…

"Orochimaru and Sasuke Uchiha can wait. Our plan shall officially begin in three years time; as soon as I perfect the sealing technique. Expect to be called upon at points through out the next few years. Understood?" The Akatsuki members all gave automatic and simultaneous agreements and Pein gave a simple nod. "Very well; you shall be hearing from me soon."

With that said, the holograms began to disappear. Sasori nodded at Deidara and the blonde nodded back, both moving back to their own bodies. They opened their eyes and were once again in the midst of the forest. Deidara blinked and gave a slight groan, clutching slightly at his skull. "Fuck; that gave me a headache."

"Quit whining, Deidara. We have a mission to do." Sasori began to move back to the path, when the blonde stopped him.

"What did you just call me?" The red head stopped Hiruko and stood still for a bit. "You called me by my actual name…I don't know whether I should feel honoured or offended, un…"

"You should feel honoured." Sasori made Hiruko look at the blonde, giving him a good critical look. "I won't call you Brat anymore…You have earned your identity." The red head turned and continued forward back to the path.

"Well I'm still going to call you Danna, un." Sasori rolled his eyes but didn't really care. From Pein's speech he had realised one crucial fact about the blonde that he had not ever thought of before. The blonde was a sign that Leader had forgiven him for Orochimaru running away.

Deidara was not a burden, he was a gift…

-x-

"So Itachi's brother has joined the ranks of Orochimaru?" Deidara looked over at Sasori and gave a wide grin, "You know what? I'll add him to my list of people to kill, un! So let's see…That makes it…Orochimaru, Kabuto, Itachi and…'Sasgay' was his name, right?"

Sasori rolled his eyes, somewhat irritated as he continued to repair the joint of Hiruko's elbow. "You have some serious issues, Bra-...Deidara…I mean, I could understand Orochimaru and Kabuto…Hell, I didn't even question you for wanting to kill Itachi for revenge…But now you want to kill Itachi's brother as well? You must have a serious inferiority complex…"

The blonde sneered over at him and stuck his tongue out. "I don't have an inferiority complex, un! Well now I feel offended, Danna. I mean, I agreed to kill Orochimaru for you, and that includes all who associate with him, and all you do is say I think everyone is better than I am." Deidara scoffed and gave a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "…" He blinked at the red head and raised an eyebrow at him far too casually, "Do you wanna have sex?"

Sasori snapped his head up to look at the blonde with a highly revolted expression, "_**What the fuck is WRONG with you?**_" The red head attached chakra strings to Hiruko's tail and flung it at Deidara, the latter managing to easily dodge it after two years of living with the red head's bad temper flares.

The blonde smirked at Sasori, giving him an irritating wink, "Come on, Danna~ What do you have to lose aside from your virginity, un?" The red head once again tried to kill Deidara but, as per usual, he failed.

"In case you have forgotten, _Deidara_," Sasori was practically fuming with rage, "I am a fucking_**puppet**_!" The red head sneered at the blonde and stood up, climbing into Hiruko.

"But what about that Human Jutsu thing?" Deidara smirked even wider and stood up from the bed, waltzing confidently over to Hiruko. He stepped inside, taking a seat in Sasori's lap, and he smirked daringly up at him, "Come on; let's take it for a spin~" He spoke with an unbelievable amount of innuendo, and for a split second the red head recalled a memory of when Karura had done almost the exact same thing when he had first made Hiruko.

Sasori's reaction was different this time.

He roughly shoved Deidara out of his puppet and he shut the lid with a snap. The blonde sat up and stuck his tongue out at Hiruko, "Awww, come on Danna, don't be so stubborn." Deidara began to try and pry the puppet open with his fingers, but Sasori easily batted the blonde away with Hiruko's tail. Deidara skidded across the floor, hitting his head against the end of the bed. He gave a groan and sat up, using the mattress to support him self, "Well someone is touchy…"

"You have _**SERIOUS ISSUES**_!" Sasori was completely enraged by the blonde! He was fucking _asexual_! Asexual! Not Deisexual! "Look, I don't care if you're gay, but-" Deidara cut him off to say that he was 'bisexual', "I DON'T FUCKING CARE! THERE IS NO FUCKING DIFFERENCE!"

The blonde rolled his eyes and gave a harsh sigh, "Just hear me out, un." Sasori was silent for a few seconds and Deidara took that as a cue to continue. "Okay, truthfully I've never had sex with a guy before. And it is different than going out and sleeping with a female prostitute. I don't trust male ones; they might steal all of my money, try to kill me, or give me a freaking sexually transmitted disease! I'm meek and submissive~" The blonde pouted and gave him a puppy-dog look, to which the red head replied to by scoffing. Deidara gave a distasteful look and then a sigh as he dropped the act, "Point being, I know for a fact that you aren't promiscuous, so the chances of you having a sexual disease are well…Zero…And I _trust_ you, un." Sasori scoffed again and was about to talk, when Deidara quickly cut him off, "Wait…I have something that you want." The blonde smirked at the puppet, pulling himself up to sit on the bed, "If you agree, then I'll give it to you, un."

"Firstly, I hate you. Secondly, I'm almost-" Sasori frowned in thought and swiftly opened Hiruko in order to glare at the blonde, "No wait, I _**AM**_ twice your age, quite _literally_!" Sasori scoffed and crossed his arms. "Besides, you _don't _have anything I want…"

Deidara smirked widely at him, stretching slightly, "Oh, but I _do_, Danna. And I promise that afterwards - if you aren't happy with it - you can do whatever you want to punish me. Poison me, torture me, kill me, sex me up again, you name it. I won't even put up a struggle." The blonde leaned forward slightly, grinning wider, "Come on, Danna. As I said before, the only thing you have to lose is your virginity~"

Sasori thought about it for a few long seconds…What did the blonde think he could possibly offer the red head? "I'd also lose my dignity."

Deidara gave a small chuckle and grinned at Sasori even wider. "Don't be silly, Danna, you lost that long ago. Besides, it's just sex, un; your stupid rule about relationships will still be intact."

The red head frowned and stood up, stepping slowly out of Hiruko. "What could you possibly offer me? You don't have anything that I want…"

"Nothing that you know of, un." Deidara's smirk fell and he gave a short yawn, "But there is only one way to find out what it is." His grin reformed and the blonde leaned back both slightly and suggestively, "So, do we have a deal?"

Sasori looked away from the blonde in a few seconds of thought. "…You're _despicable_, Brat."

Deidara stuck his tongue out at Sasori, "I thought you were going to stop calling me that, un." The blonde ran a hand through his hair, and smirked again, "Now come on."

Sasori made no voiced answer, but he was far too curious to see what the blonde thought he had that could tempt the red head so. Besides, even if the blonde was lying about it, he could poison him for a good couple of days in punishment. He made a few hand signs and activated the Jutsu which he had perfected years ago. Sasori shuddered slightly as sensation returned to his body, and he began to undo his Akatsuki cloak.

Sure he had never had sex before, but he wasn't naïve in the least. He'd been sent on missions before where he had had to rescue people who were rape victims, both male and female. And sometimes he had been sent to kidnap people, and he had long since known what kind of fate he was handing them over to.

Sometimes for a mission he was a hero, while sometimes he was a villain for the exact same reason.

You learnt a lot when you were a part of an S-Ranked organisation, "I hate you so much, Deidara."

The blonde smirked at him and began to undo his own Akatsuki cloak buttons, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Danna~" Sasori slipped his uniform off to reveal his subtly toned chest from below, as what it would have looked like if he had never converted himself into a puppet. He slipped his shoes and leg warmers off as well, deciding to get them out of the way early. The blonde did the same, before returning his attention back to his cloak.

Deidara had the audacity to wolf-whistle at the red head, dropping his own Akatsuki cloak onto the floor. Sasori sneered at him and crossed his arms in distaste. "Don't push your luck, Deidara." The blonde gave an innocent smile, and the red head rolled his eyes, awkwardly traipsing over to the bed. Deidara chuckled slightly and leaned upwards, wrapping his arms around Sasori's neck.

He pulled the red head downwards and pressed their lips together. The older male managed to suppress his irritation of the current situation and he begrudgingly kissed back, pushing Deidara down onto the bed so that his head was resting on the pillows. The blonde's hands moved along Sasori's back and the mouths on his palms began to lick and nip at his skin, causing the red head to shudder slightly and for goose-bumps to rise along his flesh.

They pulled away from the kiss and Sasori sat up slightly, allowing Deidara to remove his fishnet shirt. The red head just wanted to get this over and done with. Once the blonde had removed the material, Sasori slipped his fingers to the rim of Deidara's pants, but the younger male slapped his hands away. "Not yet, un."

The red head rolled his eyes in distaste and moved to Deidara's neck, nipping harshly at the soft flesh. Oh how easy it would be to _crush _the blonde's throat with his teeth; so tempting as well~

Sasori decided on an easier and lazier method for pleasuring the boy, sitting up to straddle the blonde. Deidara gave him a questioning and cautious look, raising an eyebrow up at the red head.

Sasori rolled his eyes and took the blonde's wrists, pressing Deidara's palms against the younger male's nipples. The hand-mouths immediately began to nip, bite and suck at the pink buds, and Deidara's head lolled back slightly as he gave a moan. Sasori was taken slightly aback by the noise, having never heard such a sound as a pleasured moan before…

The red head pressed the palms harder against Deidara's nipples, and the mouths bit down rougher, causing the blonde to give a _louder_ moan in response. Sasori's eye twitched slightly as he found that even though he hated both the blonde and the situation, he _adored_ the echoes of pleasure that were escaping from Deidara's mouth…

Sasori moved the blonde's right hand away from his nipple to Deidara's neck, and replaced it with his own mouth, biting hard on the pink bud with his back teeth. The blonde hissed in both pain and pleasure, which made Sasori bite down even harder. He was slightly taken aback when the faint taste of blood entered his mouth, or at least, that is what he guessed it was considering he had a weak sense of taste in this form and had not actually savoured blood in decades.

He pulled away, and sure enough a bead of blood was forming gradually from the blonde's nipple where Sasori had bitten a bit too hard. The red head leaned down and lapped up the crimson liquid, not really able to savour the flavour due to his taste-deficiency. He was rewarded, however, by another pleased noise from the blonde, which was like utter music to his ears.

He had been able to turn everyone thus far in his life into his puppet, and whilst Deidara was tough, Sasori had finally discovered how he could bend the blonde to his will. Everyone had their weak-point. Pity, such as Chiyo. Acceptance, such as Daichi. Power, such as Jishaku. Friendship, such as Karura…And Deidara's weakness was _sex_.

Deidara's freewill would soon be his.

The red head felt a sudden yearning to conquer the blonde. He had to defeat Deidara.

He had to break him. Sasori's hands moved back to the rim of the younger male's pants and this time the blonde didn't try to stop him. The red head pulled Deidara's blue trousers down and off, but he left his briefs on.

Sasori roughly grabbed the blonde through the material and harshly stroked him. Deidara moaned in absolute pleasure, and the red head pulled the blonde's hand-mouth away from his nape so that he could clamp his own teeth down. Sasori bit hard on the side of Deidara's neck, continuing to roughly stroke the blonde through the material.

The younger male groaned in pleasurable pain, and grasped at Sasori's back with his right hand, still teasing his own left nipple with his other hand-mouth. The red head bit down harder until he left a possessive bite-mark. Deidara moaned a bit too desperately, and Sasori decided to stop him before he came.

The red head squeezed painfully hard on the blonde's length, causing the younger male to give a pained noise, "Patience, Deidara." Sasori sat up and pulled the blonde's briefs off, revealing just how turned on the younger male really was. The red head removed his own pants, showing that he still wore boxers despite having no need for them. Sasori liked continuing personal traditions just to keep up a routine for him to follow. The red head gave a frown and looked to the blonde's face. "Do I just shove into you, or…"

Deidara blinked at Sasori lustfully and gave a slight frown of what could be irritation, "Three fingers, un." The red head was smart enough to know what the blonde was suggesting, and he put three digits into his own mouth. Sasori sucked on them for a few seconds, but soon decided he didn't have a lot of saliva to spare. The red head pulled his fingers from his mouth and moved them to the orifice on Deidara's chest, shoving his digits into the mouth between the stitches.

The blonde moaned slightly as Sasori began to caress the sensitive skin around the mouth with his thumb, and the orifice sucked on his digits. After a while he removed his fingers from the sewn-up chest mouth and moved them down to Deidara's entrance, immediately inserting two digits. The blonde stifled a groan of pain and arched his hips upwards slightly. Sasori rolled his eyes and began to thrust his fingers in and out of Deidara's heat, scissoring his digits every few seconds. The blonde gave a groan as the red head's fingers soon jabbed something inside of him, and Sasori raised an eyebrow. That must have been Deidara's prostate gland…He hit it again, earning a similar reaction.

Sasori entered his third finger and continued his ministrations, jabbing at the blonde's sweet spot again. Deidara moaned and bucked his hips, needily wanting the red head to continue. Sasori rolled his eyes and removed his fingers, wiping them on the bed-sheets and the blonde wrapped his legs around the red head's lower back, tugging on him insistently. Sasori scoffed slightly at how needy Deidara was, slipping his boxers off in one fluid motion, dropping them simply onto the ground. The blonde once again bucked his hips and the red head rolled his eyes yet again, deciding to go on.

(A/N- Smut continues in next chapter; I'm evil)


	41. A Gift Part Two

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-One

A Gift Part Two

Sasori leaned downwards, grabbing onto the blonde's hips roughly with enough force to bruise. The red head positioned his surprisingly hard length at Deidara's heat, slightly wondering at what point he had even become so solid. Within his many years of turning people into puppets he had seen many manhoods, but Sasori couldn't help but be slightly impressed by his own size; had he always been that large? He brushed off the thought and gave a rough thrust inside of the blonde's entrance, becoming fully sheathed. Deidara moaned in pain and Sasori gave a harsh gasp. It was an indescribable blunt feeling of just pressure.

No pain, and no pleasure; just pressure.

The blonde grasped at the red head's back, bucking his hips slightly, wanting the older male to immediately continue. Sasori shifted his position, wrapping his arms around Deidara's waist for better control, and he pulled mostly out. The red head gave a hard thrust forward, faintly surprised as a faint rush of likable pleasure ran through his body. Sasori was still for a few seconds, before he repeated the action. Deidara gave a gasp, and the red head lost him self.

He began to pound in and out of the blonde's body both roughly and violently. Deidara's grip on the red head tightened and he moaned in pleasure at the new fast pace, clearly enjoying the rough treatment.

Sasori continued to thrust as hard as possible, wanting to both mentally and physically break the blonde. Deidara abruptly gave a cry which was especially satisfying to the red head's ears, and he guessed that he had hit that sensitive spot inside of the blonde. Sasori felt a sadistic smirk curve his lips and he began to aim for the bundle of nerves which made the blonde release such a pleasing sound. He struck Deidara's prostate gland once again, and the younger male gave a deafening cry, "DANNA~"

Sasori decided right then and there that he enjoyed hearing the blonde crying his name with pleasure laced in his voice, even if it was that half-infernal nickname. The red head once again continued his rough pace, violently hitting Deidara's sweet spot every time. The blonde cried out in pleasure so often that it seemed to become difficult for him to catch the occasional gulp of oxygen.

Sasori him self was enthralled by the pleasure and he just wanted to release the feeling that was building up inside of him. He pressed his forehead against the blonde's chest – which was soaked with their sweat - and continued to violently take the sixteen year old.

Fuck, he wouldn't be able to last much longer. And Deidara couldn't either.

The sixteen year old cried out Sasori's name repeatedly, giving a scream as he finally exploded over the two males. Deidara tightened around him and - whether the red head wanted to or not - he couldn't help but release his load inside of the blonde. Sasori shuddered and then gave a sigh of relief, waiting a few moments before pulling out of Deidara and rolling off of him.They both lay there, trying to regain their breath and after a while, the blonde managed to give a short chuckle. "See, Danna? Was that…Really…So bad…?"

Sasori looked upwards at the ceiling for a few seconds before he decided to get under the covers. The red head pulled the sheets out from underneath both of them, causing Deidara to give a hiss of pain. Sasori slowly blinked at the blonde, feeling unbelievably tired and exhausted, something not usually felt by the red head, "Roll over." The sixteen year old lifted an eyebrow at the older male and did what he instructed. Sasori noticed both blood and semen leaking out of Deidara's heat and the red head gave a sigh. He place a hand on the lowest part of the blonde's back and began to use his Tender Touch Technique to heal the internal damage which he had inflicted upon the sixteen year old.

Deidara gave a small pleased sigh of relief as the pain ebbed away, nuzzling his face into the pillow far too innocently. Sasori finished healing the harm and lay back in the comfortable bed, already somewhat regretting his actions.

They both lay in silence for a few seconds, before the red head gave a thoughtful frown, looking back to the blonde. "Was that rape? Because I learnt that sex is always between two people who _'love'" – _he spoke the word with bitter disdain – "each other, and rape is between two people who generally hate each other or have a one-sided relationship."

Deidara gave a yawn and then gazed towards Sasori while wearing a rather content look, "It wasn't rape, un. Rape isn't always when two people hate each other, just when one doesn't give consent. And sex doesn't have to be between two people who love each other either, un." The blonde nuzzled his face back into the pillow and gave a small, peaceful sigh, "What we just did is called 'Semi-Mindless Fucking', un."

Sasori gave a simple nod, somewhat relieved that he wasn't a rapist, though he was also quite disturbed by the blonde's eloquent choice of words. Deidara stretched slightly and stood up, wiggling his ass a bit to make sure that it didn't hurt anymore. The blonde smirked slightly and then began to rummage through his clothes until he picked up one of his clay pouches, bringing it back over to the bed and sitting cross-legged on the sheets. The blonde fiddled with a small hidden pocket, and Sasori watched with little interest, wondering what he was doing.

And then Deidara exposed exactly what it was that he both possessed and that Sasori desired.

The red head stared in shock as the blonde offered the object to him, and Sasori practically snatched it from Deidara. He sat up quickly and held the item in his hands, in utter awe. "See, I told you that I had something you wanted, un."

Sasori frowned slightly and then shot Deidara a slight glare. "But you told me when I questioned you about-"

"Yeah," Deidara stretched slightly and dropped the clay pouch onto the floor, "I lied." The blonde crawled underneath the covers and then had the audacity to snuggle against Sasori's side. The red head couldn't bring himself to care as he stared at the object which he held in his hand. The item he had not seen for roughly twenty-four years.

In Sasori's hands was a silver bracelet which, at its centre, bore a carving of a Dove. It looked exactly the same as when he had last seen it…The words of the woman who had given it to him ran through his head in a retrieved, long forgotten, memory.

_Those three are a part of a series, and there are no others like them. The Scorpion is a symbol of defence, calm and self protection. The Wolf is a symbol of loyalty, success and perseverance. And lastly, the Dove is a representation of love, innocence and gentleness. It is said that no matter the turmoil or distance, these three bracelets are destined to always reunite. I've seen it happen before, and I know that in the future it will happen again._

"Wait a minute…" Sasori frowned down at the blonde who was still snuggled up against his side, "So your mother is Asuko?" Deidara gave a shrug and a yawn, correcting the red head with a mumbled 'was'. So he had been right after all! "…" Sasori rolled his eyes, not really remembering why he had actually cared as to who the blonde's mother was.

The red head gave a sigh and made a move to try and leave the bed, but Deidara stopped him, "Come on Danna, you haven't slept in a bed for however long. Live a little, un." Sasori raised an eyebrow down at the blonde and gave a sigh, too exhausted to even bother arguing.

"Whatever." The red head lay back down and Deidara rolled on top of him, nuzzling his face into the crook of Sasori's neck. He sneered in distaste, glaring down at the blonde, "You're awfully cuddly…Emphasis on the word '_Awfully_'."

Deidara reacted by simply nuzzling further into Sasori's neck, "Just taking advantage of the good mood you're in, un~ So much for your Haptephobia." The blonde gave a yawn and practically fell asleep a mere second later.

Sasori tried to clutch at his usual rage, but found that he couldn't quite grasp it. The red head guessed that it was because of the sex, or as Deidara had so sophisticatedly put it, he was in a 'good mood'. The red head sighed and looked back to the bracelet which he still clutched in his hand. Sasori slipped it onto his wrist and, with nothing better to do, put his arms around the sleeping blonde…

He still did have his Haptephobia, but Deidara was the one exception to this fear.

Sasori sighed and pulled the covers up a bit until it covered the sixteen year old's shoulders. He closed his eyes and decided to try to get some sleep, not even bothering to deactivate his Human Jutsu, "This better not become a frequent thing."

-o-

…Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have slept with the person I hated the most in the world…No it didn't become a frequent thing…Well, I wouldn't call it _'frequent'_…

Okay! So we had sex quite a lot after that occurrence, but not until we made The Deal. It did not mean _anything_. Sex is nothing…It just made Deidara slightly more tolerable, and…

Look, I don't have to explain myself to the likes of _**you**_!

…Okay, I apologize. I slept with Deidara in order to make him my puppet. One is more loyal if there is a reward on the line. And yes, the Brat was more trustworthy afterwards. Besides, that bracelet was worth it…I like to think so anyway…

-o-

_Sasori woke up slowly to the sight of Deidara sleeping on the opposite side of the bed than what he was on. The red head gave a slight yawn and sat up, looking carefully around the hotel room. Clothes were strewn everywhere, the bed-sheets were creased, and Hiruko stood in the corner, open and eerily watching Sasori. The red head frowned at the puppet, tilting his head slightly. "What's your problem?"_

"_My," Hiruko's mouth moved as he talked, and the black bandana slipped from around him, revealing the male's broad grin. The living puppet stood up, his body shifting to that of a giant red and black snake. Hiruko crossed his eight spindly human arms and arched the front half of his body into the air, still grinning at Sasori. "What a lucky little lad you are~ All of those who you ever loved are dead, and all you do is replace them with this little kid." Hiruko leaned forward, making a move to grab the sleeping Deidara, but Sasori had managed to slice the snake clean in half with a sword which had somehow appeared out of his arm before it disappeared again._

_Hiruko shuddered slightly and collapsed onto the ground, questionably dead. Sasori watched it suspiciously for a few seconds, taken aback when the body suddenly split in half. From the snake emerged Sasori's puppet body, giving a sinister grin at the other red head. "You are so weak; what are you? You're not a human, and you're not a puppet; you're a monster~!" Before the thirty-two year old could react, the puppet Sasori had already shot his stomach cable at the red head. It pierced through his chest, _and he woke up for real. Sasori sat up, blinking slowly as he looked around the room. The blonde's clothes had disappeared, but the red head's were folded neatly in a pile. Sasori noticed that Deidara was gone, but relaxed once he caught onto the sound of the shower in the bathroom.

He sighed and looked over to where Hiruko sat lifeless in the corner. After a few seconds of the puppet remaining a puppet, Sasori looked away, running a hand through his crimson hair. "Stupid dreams."

He dispelled his Human Jutsu, returning to his almost puppet body. Sasori stood up and began to get dressed at his own leisurely pace. He listened as the shower turned off and the red head traipsed over to Hiruko, sitting down inside of the puppet. Sasori fiddled inside one of the compartments of Hiruko until he found what he was searching for. The red head pulled out the two objects and looked at them indifferently. In this right hand was clutched the bracelet which had originally belonged to his old friend Daichi.

The Scorpion. Defence. "…I don't care about you anymore." He then looked to the other silver bracelet which had originally belonged to his old best friend; Karura. The Wolf. Loyalty. "I don't care about you either." They both belonged to dead people. Sasori finally let go of the hope-filled friendships he had tried to keep in his mind despite the two Shinobi being long since deceased.

The thought of them had made him feel human; but it was time to let go of that stupid feeling.

Sasori looked to the new bracelet which was still on his wrist. It had belonged firstly to the red head when he had been but eight years old, and then it had fallen into Asuko's possession, and then it had slipped into Deidara's clasp…But even after all of these years it had ended back in Sasori's ownership…

It was a symbol of all the things which he had wanted, and yet had never been able to grab, no matter how hard he had tried. The Dove. Love, innocence and gentleness…Things which he had never been given, and that he had never possessed.

They were things he could barely – if at all – comprehend.

He slipped the two bracelets onto his wrist to join the third and listened to the clanging noise that they made as they were officially reunited after over two decades of separation.

Sasori could finally let them go.

Daichi, Karura, Asuko, and the red head of that time…

All four had died long ago, and he could finally relieve himself of their burden.

Sasori gave a small sigh and closed his eyes, enjoying the light feeling which graced the moment. It was ruined, however, by the sound of a door opening. A clothed Deidara ambled out of the bathroom, currently drying his hair with a towel and chewing on a piece of what was most likely clay. Honestly, the kid thought that the stuff was gum or something! The blonde dropped down onto the bed, giving Sasori a mischievous grin. "So; judging by the fact that I'm not currently in agony, I take it that you either liked my present, or the sex, un."

"…" The red head shot the blonde an annoyed glare, irritated by the loss of significance in his previous time alone. Of course the kid would ruin the moment! "I liked the bracelet, didn't care much for the sex." Sasori looked back to the accessories which adorned his wrist, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Do you even realise the importance of it?"

Deidara gave a shrug and continued to dry his hair with the now soggy towel. "Eh, it was a bracelet which my mum always wore. Before she went to the war she gave it to me. I kept it just in case I ever ran out of money and needed something to sell, un." He grinned once again at Sasori, "Looks like it served its purpose after all." The red head scoffed and looked away from Deidara, somewhat irritated. "But why did you ask about it last year, or whenever it was we were in the Snow Country place, un?"

"I realised just how much you looked like Asuko…" Sasori gazed back to the blonde, slightly amused to find a somewhat-shocked expression currently plastered on Deidara's countenance. "Yeah, I met your mother once when I was eight years old. This bracelet," the red head gestured to the dove bangle, "belonged to me twenty-four years ago."

"…" Deidara raised an eyebrow at Sasori and removed the towel from his hair. "I just realised something, Danna…You're _old_, un." He began to laugh, and the red head suppressed the urge to beat the blonde to a bloody pulp. Deidara grinned at him for a few more seconds and spat the clay into his left hand, beginning to mould it. Soon the blonde finished with it, placing a tiny clay spider on the side table. He watched it for a few seconds and then gave a short hum, pulling a comb from a side pocket of his clay pouch. "I'm just messing, Danna. You're…" The blonde frowned in thought as he started to brush his hair. "…Sixteen years older than I am…Hey, you really are twice my age, un!"

He laughed and continued to comb his blonde locks while the red head scoffed at him. "Finally come to your senses, Deidara? Just never pester me for sex ever again."

"Oh, I don't know about that, un~" The blonde gave Sasori an almost seductive smirk, continuing to comb the knots out of his long locks. "I mean, last night I slept with you just to push my boundaries and for the hell of it, but now that I know you're so fucking _good _at it…You were quite skilled for a virgin, un~"

The red head sneered at the blonde, crossing his arms. "To push your boundaries? For the hell of it? What happened to all that shit about not trusting male prostitutes, and trusting me, etcetera, etcetera?"

Deidara snorted and finished brushing his hair, placing the comb down on the table. "Eh, I was telling the truth when I said that I had never slept with a guy before, but all that stuff about sexual diseases? Yeah, basically bullshit, un; as if I would actually care about my life being in peril." He shrugged far too casually and began to tie his hair up in his usual style. "Yeah, I just wanted _you_ to fuck me."

Sasori sneered at Deidara in disgust, unfolding his arms angrily. "You mortals are all the same! Life is simply a game to you! What is your stupid philosophy? You win some, you lose some, but at the end of the day you all die like dogs!"

The blonde carefully raised an eyebrow at the red head, tilting his head to the side. "Of course, un. My mantra is 'Live fast; die young'! _Dying is an __**art**__, and like all things, I do it exceptionally __**well**__._" Sasori scoffed, irritated by the fucking blonde beyond belief. "But back to the topic…After experiencing just how good you were in bed, you should expect to be pestered for sex far more frequently from now on, un." The red head flung Hiruko's tail at Deidara, albeit he managed to dodge it rather gracefully.

Sasori, feeling overly humiliated, shut the puppet with a snap and pulled the three bracelets from his wrist, shoving them into one of Hiruko's many compartments. "You better be telling a sick, twisted, joke,_ Brat_; for your sake."

Deidara laughed and tightened his pony tail before picking the comb back up, brushing his fringe a few times. "Maybe I am, maybe I am not. Only time will tell, un~" The blonde continued to give the Cheshire grin and a slight chuckle, slipping the comb back into the pocket of his clay pouch. "We'll have a _fun" _- he spoke the word with thick innuendo – "time finding out though~"

Sasori - fuming with rage - made his puppet pull the bandana off of its face, and he opened up Hiruko's mouth to shoot a barrage of poisoned senbon needles at the idiotic blonde. Deidara quickly leapt off of the mattress, falling flat onto the floor and quickly rolling beneath the bed. The senbon dug into the sheets, the wall, and the floor, but the blonde had succeeded in being shielded from the attack. After a few seconds, Deidara popped out from the other side of the bed, immediately getting to his feet. Sasori growled in frustration, unable to control his rage. "STAY STILL SO I CAN FUCKING KILL YOU ALREADY!

He intricately made his fingers dance, sending another bombardment of senbon at the blonde, who in retaliation quickly made several hand signs. "Earth Style: Hidden Mole Jutsu." The floor boards appeared to melt around Deidara's feet, and he seeped right through the ground, effectively dodging Sasori's needles. The red head growled and began to look rapidly around, trying to figure out where the blonde would attack from.

-o-

The morning after our first time having sex was spent trying to kill each other…


	42. C4 Karura

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Two

C4 Karura

Sasori locked onto the blonde's chakra signature and he flung his tail at the wall, successfully creating a gap large enough for his puppet to fit through. The red head made Hiruko get onto all fours and race out of the hole, into the woods which surrounded the back of the hotel. He was blinded by rage and he wanted nothing more than to kill the fucking Brat!

Sasori followed the blonde's trail of chakra until he finally arrived at a large tree, which Deidara was currently leaning against. The sixteen year old wore his stupid smirk and his hands were hidden in his clay pouches, preparing for the battle against the red head. "We all knew this day would eventually arrive, Danna. Why don't we make a deal, un?" The blonde pulled his hands from the pouches, and his mouths were chewing on clay. "If I win, then I get to have sex whenever I want, and if you win, I'll never bother you for sex again, un."

Sasori gave a growl of rage, wanting to rip the smirk from the sixteen year old's face and to tear his words to shreds. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" Deidara gave a chuckle, his grin widening as he flung a horde of small C1 insects at the puppet. Sasori moved Hiruko's left arm up and shot the projectile at the blonde, activating the weapon. The small compartments opened and senbon hurled out in a deadly amount, successfully stabbing into each of the clay explosives. The needles pinned the insects to both trees and the ground at a safe distance away from the red head.

With the immediate danger gone, Sasori shot Hiruko's tail at Deidara, successfully lodging it right through the blonde's gut and even through the tree trunk. The red head smirked dangerously for a few seconds, but the expression faded as Deidara slowly reverted into a clay figure of the blonde. Sasori scowled and tried to pull Hiruko's tail from the poorly sculpted body, but found that he was unable to remove it. DAMMIT! HE'D FALLEN INTO A FUCKING TRAP!

"Heads up, Danna~" Sasori was taken aback for a few seconds, but he quickly looked up at where the blonde's voice originated from, clenching his teeth at what he saw. Deidara was on his clay C2 dragon, flying high above the red head. The kid gave a laugh and threw another bundle of C1 insects at Sasori, but only about a quarter amount of the previous barrage; the red head was all out of senbon. He managed to retreat to a small extent in order to avoid most of the insects, but due to Hiruko's tail being stuck in the clay figure, he couldn't move far enough.

There was a loud explosion at close range, and Sasori instinctively ducked as Hiruko's clothes fell to tatters and the puppet's large mask went flying off. The red head heard the shield crash fairly nearby, and he quickly jumped out of Hiruko, impulsively pulling a black cloth from the puppet over his self. After a few seconds, he remembered that the blonde already knew what he looked like and he realised that the material had absolutely no benefit in the situation.

Sasori quickly pulled it off and glared up at Deidara who still hovered on his clay dragon, smirking down at the red head. "My, Danna, you look pissed off~ You don't want to ruin those boyish good looks of yours with all that glaring; it just doesn't suit you! I know exactly what will calm you down! Some nice transient beauty will certainly make you relax, un!" Deidara gave a laugh, and Sasori watched a portion of the dragon's tail disappear in an act which he was all too familiar with.

Shit.

The red head moved quickly, activating the seal in his right sleeve and grabbing the scroll which contained the Third Kazekage. Sasori quickly unrolled it and summoned the puppet just as the dragon's mouth became engorged. Jishaku appeared just behind him, and the red head automatically made the dog hand sign, summoning the iron sand from inside of the puppet. Just at that moment, the clay mouth of the C2 opened and a miniature version of the explosive dragon was shooting down at the red head. Sasori quickly moved the iron sand in front of him to act as a shield, and a few seconds later the clay creature slammed against the wall. It immediately detonated, the explosion effectively smothered by the metal grains, leaving the red head unharmed.

Sasori sneered and made the sand form into a ball around him self, followed by another layer of sand around the first ball. On the outer sheet of grains, spikes formed, and the outcome was a large version of his old puppet Turquoise - made entirely of iron sand. Sasori and the Third Kazekage were safe inside the unmoving centre as the ball shot into the air, spinning its outer shell at a deadly pace. Deidara quickly leapt off of the dragon as Sasori smashed straight through the creature, splitting the C2 being in half. The red head came plummeting to the ground with the dragon falling not two seconds later. The iron sand fell back partly so that Sasori could look around, pleased to see the blonde slam face first into the ground. Deidara gave a groan, and sat up, cradling his head as per usual. "Dammit, Danna, that hurt you bastard!"

The kid looked up at Sasori, giving a half-hearted glare, and he looked around the field. During the fall, Deidara had ended up crashing just next to one of the halves of the clay dragon, which Sasori knew was quite bad as he could use the clay to make more bombs. The blonde got to his feet, practically bounding over to the dragon. The red head sneered as Deidara - rather than shovel the stuff into his hand mouths - began to eat the clay with his actual mouth.

That meant that the blonde was planning to use his C3 explosives; that being a detonating clone of himself…Which meant that the blonde before him was just a duplicate…Predictable!

Sasori was prepared to close the iron sand ball back up at a seconds notice, wanting to see the blonde's fruitless efforts. The red head had been partnered with the blonde for two years; he knew all of Deidara's moves. The kid stopped stuffing his face and grabbed two more handfuls, chewing one up with the mouth on his left palm and the other he crammed into his facial orifice.

Sasori couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sight of the blonde becoming engorged with the clay. After a few seconds, Deidara had finished off the explosive earthen-material, and he gave a smirk at Sasori. "I bet you reckon I'm using my C3, un. But this is something which I have made only recently, and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to use it!"

The blonde's left hand mouth spat out a lump of clay and quickly moulded the piece into a bird, tossing it into the air. He made a half ram seal and a cloud of smoke formed as the clay expanded and gave a coo as if it were a real living creature. Deidara jumped onto the bird's back, giving a wide smirk as he flew up high. Sasori was both curious and cautious of the blonde's new technique, but he was ready to shut the iron sand defence ball at any second.

Deidara seemed to become satisfied by his new found height, and the bird began to hover in the air. He smirked and made an entire ram seal, rather than just the usual half hand sign. "This is a Jutsu that I've made to kill Itachi Uchiha, and it is my most powerful attack!" Sasori watched, slightly disgusted as the kid leaned over the side of his creation and began to vomit up the clay he had ingested. But as the disgusting mass fell to the ground, in began to change shape. Two giant feet slammed on the ground, causing the earth to shake, but Sasori couldn't feel it due to his iron sand ball covering the floor beneath him. The red head watched in horror as the clay formed a giant version of his blonde partner.

Oh shit! If that thing went off, it could do some serious damage! Would his iron sand be able to take an explosion that enormous at such a close proximity?

The blonde finished vomiting up the clay version of himself, grinning down at the red head. "Aren't you going to run, un? That little shield thing won't be able to protect you!" He gave a laugh and made several hand signs, grinning down at the red head. "And I've finally decided what I'm going to call it, un! I'm going to call it 'C4 Karura'!"

Sasori was completely indifferent about the name. He was completely over his old dead friend, so the stupid title did not have the intended effect on him.

Deidara finished making the needed hand signs and Sasori watched as the giant version of the blonde began to inflate, looking misshapen and disfigured. The red head sneered and quickly closed the gap in his iron sand defence, bracing himself for what came next. He heard the explosion and waited for the impact, but after a few eerily silent moments, there was absolutely nothing…Sasori frowned and he cautiously opened a tiny gap in the iron sand shield, just large enough so that he could see through it. The red head was surprise to find the blonde's creation was crumbling to bits, completely harmless.

Sasori frowned and looked around, guessing that the blonde still had some adjustments he needed to add to the Jutsu…Not that the red head would let Deidara have the chance. He was going to wring the little Brat's neck!

Sasori looked up at said blonde, and he knew that something was wrong…Deidara was still grinning like a mad man, which means that the Jutsu hadn't back fired…Sasori kept a cautious eye on the blonde, and he waited for something to happen…Still nothing… Deidara made a half ram hand sign and grinned even wider. "ART IS A BANG! KATSU!" There was complete silence…

Okay, that wasn't good.

They were in the middle of a forest; where were the sounds of the animals?

Surely the fighting couldn't have made them all run away…Sasori made the eyehole widen and he looked around further, surprised by the sight of a snake on a nearby tree. Its tongue flickered slowly, and then the sight completely changed. The creature gradually began to go to pieces right before his eyes. The fragments scattered in the air and were blown away by the wind. Sasori stared at the sight and turned his eyes back to the blonde, whose smirk had faded into just a small smile.

"C4 Karura is actually a mass of microscopic bombs that enter a victim through their respiratory system. Then once I detonate them, the bombs literally turn the host into dust, un." Deidara smirked once again and he gave a soft chuckle, shaking his head slowly. "Of course, you don't actually _breathe_, so it kind of doesn't have any effect on you, Danna." He shrugged and gave yet another chortle as he continued to hover in the air. "But at least I know that it works, un."

"…" Sasori sneered at the blonde, his anger rising once again. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE POINT IN ALL OF THAT IF YOU KNEW IT WOULDN'T EVEN FUCKING AFFECT ME?" Deidara simply gave an ostentatious shrug, and Sasori had had enough of the fucking performance. He made the sign of the dog, and activated the Third Kazekage's ultimate Jutsu. "Iron Sand World Order!"

The metal grains around him shuddered, and the next thing the red head knew, the sand had moved from around Sasori. Pillars shot out of the shifting mass, reaching as high as the blonde's clay bird. Deidara began to quickly make his creation dodge the various spikes, being forced to bring it closer to the ground. Sasori took the opportunity and let one of his hands release Jishaku, managing to attach chakra strings to the blonde. The red head smirked widely and dragged Deidara from the clay bird, bringing him hurtling to the ground. The kid gave a cry before he slammed into the dirt, groaning as he sat up.

His eyes widening as a spike of iron sand shot straight for his chest. Deidara quickly moved to the side, managing to move enough so that the pillar missed his torso.

Unfortunately for the blonde, it pierced him straight through his left bicep.

Sasori's smirk widened further as he successfully poisoned Deidara, knowing that pretty soon the blonde would become paralysed. When that happened, the kid would become a perfect, unmoving target that he would turn into a nice,_ cooperative_ puppet~ Sasori stopped his technique, and the iron stand finished spreading. He looked upwards to see that the blonde's clay bird was stuck high above, caught in several spikes. In any case, it was useless to Deidara now; "Looks like I won."

The blonde was still for a few seconds, but then his smirk reappeared like a corny magic trick. "Over my dead body, un." In a flash, Deidara had drawn a kunai knife with his right hand, and Sasori cautiously stopped moving. There was a swift blaze of metal, and the red head's eyes widened at the sight. The kunai clattered to the floor, along with a splatter of fresh blood, and the blonde now held the shoulder part of his sleeve in his teeth, now free of both Sasori's poison and the iron sand which had limited his movements.

Deidara had cut off his own arm.

The blonde let go of his sleeve, the cut material barely covering his new gaping wound, and he got to his feet. Sasori sneered at Deidara, knowing that the kid had cut the affected arm off before the poison had managed to spread. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Deidara flinched in agony, but then gave his usual smirk with an added bonus of increased insanity. With his single arm he made a half ram seal, and gave a loud laugh. "I WIN! KATSU!" All that Sasori was aware of was a sudden explosion, and then the world grew completely dark…

…So dark…

…But he wasn't dead.

Sasori began sensing the world around him, and he became aware to what had happened. The red head was no longer in his puppet body; he was just his human nucleus. Deidara had somehow removed him from his own chest cavity…Sasori's mind worked quickly, and he soon realised what had happened. The blonde must have planted a C1 behind the container of his chest. But when had he-…Oh fuck…

_A clothed Deidara ambled out of the bathroom, currently drying his hair with a towel and chewing on a piece of what was most likely clay…Deidara grinned at him for a few more seconds and spat the clay into his left hand, beginning to mould it. Soon the blonde finished with it, placing a tiny clay spider on the side table. He watched it for a few seconds, and then gave a short hum, pulling a comb from a side pocket of his clay pouch._

Now that he recalled the memory, he noticed that all the other times the red head had looked at the table, the clay insect had been absent. How the fuck hadn't he noticed? The blonde had most likely made it crawl into Sasori's joints undetected. Then there was the fact that Deidara had planted it that long ago…The kid had known that they would get into a fight…Hell, the blonde had provoked Sasori!

DEIDARA HAD WANTED TO START THE BRAWL THIS ENTIRE TIME!

Wait…The blonde had had the insect in his chest the entire time…At any point, Deidara could have detonated the explosive…Hell, he had purposely made it so that the clay insect would only dislodge his chest cavity, and he hadn't positioned the C1 at a point which could kill the red head.

During this entire battle, Deidara had just been messing with him!

Sasori suddenly blinked his eyes as the world abruptly reappeared. Said world consisted of the blonde sitting on his lap, smirking at the red head. "I told you I won, un." Sasori sneered and tried to strangle the kid, but found that he couldn't move his arms. He blinked in confusion and looked down, noticing that Deidara had managed to tie his arms to his sides using the red head's own stomach cable. Sasori scowled and tried to move his legs, but found that even though they weren't tied, he sat on them in an awkward position which cut off their movement while the blonde was currently sitting in his lap.

The red head gave a growl and glared daggers at Deidara, but he soon let his expression fade, finding himself unable to grasp his previous rage. "You are a conniving little runt. What the fuck was the entire point of this?"

The blonde gave an almost innocent smile up at the red head, batting his eyelids as if he had done no wrong. "I just wanted to show you my C4 Karura, and we had a deal, remember? I win and we get to have sex whenever I want, un."

Sasori slowly blinked at the blonde, and gave a snort. "I never agreed to that, Brat. And here I thought that you had actually matured enough to be called your actual name." The red head shook his head in mild disbelief, giving a sigh. "Now untie me, and I might not kill you, _Brat_."

"Come on, Danna, we both know that you weren't going to kill me back there. If you had wanted me dead, then I'm sure you would have managed it, un." Deidara gave a half shrug, giving a hiss of pain due to his lack of having a left arm. "Fine then, why don't we call it a draw? I'll untie you if you agree to fix my arm, un…And you agree to not poison/strangle/dismember/other-form-of-death me…"

Sasori sighed and tried to untie his stomach cable himself, but despite being able to control it, he couldn't manage to untangle the cord. He gave a slight growl and looked away from Deidara, humiliated. "Fine."

"Good," the blonde smirked at him but didn't make a move to untie the red head, "now let's talk about the sex." Sasori groaned, wishing that he could go back into the past in order to warn himself not to sleep with the sixteen year old in the first place. The Dove bracelet was definitely not worth it. "I think you liked it more than you're letting on, un…So tell me, what did you hate about it anyway?"

Sasori answered immediately. "All of it."

Deidara's smirk only widened, and he irritatingly put his one hand up to play with the red head's hair. "Now come on Danna, you were moaning just as much as I was~" Sasori kept himself from physically flinching, but even so the blonde noticed the thought in the red head's brown eyes. "…Oh, I get it. You liked hearing me moan, didn't you?" Sasori quickly shook his head, but he couldn't easily fool Deidara. The blonde moved forward to the puppet's ear, giving a fake pleasured moan. _",Oh Danna~ Fuck me harder~ Ah, yes Danna~"_

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Sasori twitched his eye slightly, happy that he had nothing to get excited with whilst in puppet form… Deidara seemed to enjoy the reaction, however.

The blonde pulled away from the red head's ear, giving a slight hum in thought. "I'll have to remember that for later…Now, could you please fix my arm? Bleeding to death hurts like a bitch." Sasori gave a sigh and a begrudging nod, which seemed to satisfy Deidara as he began to untie the puppet. Fucking Brat.


	43. Opulence

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Three

Opulence

Sasori coiled his cord back into his stomach compartment and got to his feet, looking around at the spent battle field. The Third Kazekage lay lifeless without the red head's control, and iron sand smothered the majority of the ground. Senbon needles still were imbedded in the trunks of nearby trees, pinning un-detonated clay bombs to the foliage. Hiruko still sat with the smirking mask lying some four metres away from the puppet and with tail still stuck in the clay figure.

Sasori sighed at the wastage and attached chakra stings to Jishaku, bringing the puppet back to life. He activated the Third Kazekage's Kekkei Genkai, and moved the iron sand back inside of the marionette, clearing it from the battle field. Sasori picked Jishaku's scroll up off of the ground and sealed the puppet back into the parchment, following this by sealing the scroll back into his sleeve. "Ah, Danna…" Sasori looked back to the blonde, who was waving his dismembered arm at the red head. "Sort of bleeding to death over here…Cleany-upy later."

"Fine, but don't forget that you were the one who cut your own damn arm off." Sasori moved over to Hiruko, fishing his medical pouch from the inside of the puppet. "Sit down and take your cloak off."

"Oh Danna~ But we just did it last night~" Sasori shot the blonde a dark glare, and Deidara gave a laugh. "I'm just messing, un." The boy collapsed onto the ground, giving a loud sigh. "Man, I'm exhausted. I've almost used up all of my chakra, un." The blonde set his arm down on the ground and began unbuttoning his cloak with one hand, struggling yet managing.

"It's your fault, Brat, so don't complain." Sasori traipsed over to the blonde, settling himself to kneel next to Deidara, opening up his medical pouch. "This'll hurt."

"No shit Sherlock; it hurts already. Now please heal me before I bleed to death." Sasori rolled his eyes and pulled the left side of the blonde's cloak away, revealing the bloody nub.

"I'll have to perform some minor healing first, to stop the artery from bleeding excessively. Then I'll clean-" Deidara shot him a dull look, silently letting the red head know that he didn't care about the details. Sasori sighed and moved one hand to the blonde's nub, using the Mystic Palm Technique to stop the bleeding.

After a few seconds, the worst of the blood flow was stopped, and Sasori pulled away to grab a small vial of water which he used for similar situations. He also took out an old rag, moistening the cloth with the water and then placing the vial back into the bag. Sasori moved back to the blonde's nub and began cleaning the blood away from the outside of the wound, just to give him self a cleaner canvas to work with. He dropped the rag back into the medical pouch, and picked up his needle and thread.

"As I said; this is going to hurt." Just to make him learn a lesson, the red head 'forgot' to give him any pain killers~

Sasori picked the blonde's severed arm up from the floor and positioned it back where it belonged. Deidara gave a hiss of pain, but didn't make any outright complaints as Sasori continued to find the correct position of the broken bone and flesh, as if the wound were no more than a jigsaw puzzle piece.

Eventually he found the correct position and moved the needle to the flesh. He rarely had to heal an injury so severe, and if he was to cure the wound, he would have to be thorough. Sasori inserted the needle into the flesh of Deidara's shoulder, which caused the blonde to give a hiss. "Fuck, remind me to never cut my arm off again."

"I'll leave that for you to remember; just don't make a habit of it." Sasori began to stitch the two sides of flesh together, precisely and without hesitation. Deidara continued to give the occasional hiss, curse, and groan, but other than that he acted fairly well at having his arm sewn back together without any pain killers.

The kid had one hell of a pain threshold.

The red head continued to stitch the limb back to the blonde's bicep, sewing around the wound twice and tightly just to be exact. After finishing, Sasori snapped the thread with his teeth and put the bloody needle away into the medical pouch, making a mental note to clean it later. He pulled a syringe from the bag and immediately injected it into the blonde's neck. Deidara swore and made a move to hit Sasori with his right arm, expecting the worst, but the red head stopped the blonde with his free hand.

"Don't worry, this is just the antidote for my poison; I had this dose left over from when I last poisoned/cured you. The venom is still in your arm, and if I reattached your limb, then the poison would spread unless you already had the antidote in your blood stream."

Deidara was quiet for a few seconds, before putting his right arm back down just as Sasori finished injecting the antidote, pulling the needle from the blonde's neck. He dropped the used syringe into the medical pouch before moving his hands back to Deidara's sewn up injury, cupping his palms around the wound. Sasori initiated his Tender Touch Technique and closed his eyes, concentrating on healing the self inflicted damage Deidara had done to himself. The red head continued to run healing chakra through the wound, slowly fusing the skin, flesh and bone back together.

The threads slowly dissolved as the injury began to heal, and Deidara gave a slow sigh of relief. After about a minute longer, the wound was completely healed, the threads were completely dissolved, and the blonde's arm was reattached. "Finished…Just don't do it again." Sasori put his hand on the blonde's bicep and began to run his hand down Deidara's arm, applying pressure to try and help restart the circulation of blood in the limb. He reached the blonde's hand and began moving back up Deidara's arm, reaching the top after a few seconds. "The wound area will be a bit tender for about a week's time, but it should go back to normal soon."

"Okie dokie, un." Deidara flexed his arm, giving a grin at his repaired limb, and then at Sasori. "Thanks, Danna." The blonde then had the audacity to lean forward and press his lips against the red head's. Sasori's immediate response was his usual response. He instinctively shot his stomach cable out at Deidara with the intent to stab him, but he wasn't expecting it when the blonde managed to grab the cord. Sasori pulled away from the kiss to look down to see that the kid was tightly holding onto the poisoned cable; so tight that blood was leaking out of the blonde's palm, most likely from the mouth. "You gave me the antidote like a minute ago, un, your poison won't work~ Which means I get to kiss you as much as I-"

Sasori slapped the blonde across the cheek, successfully wiping the smirk from his face. "I suggest you let go of me, before I skin you alive. I fixed your arm, but I'll be even happier breaking it."

The ingrate rolled his eyes and let go of the cable, which quickly retreated back into Sasori's stomach compartment. Deidara looked to his hand which was now covered in both blood and the purple venom. The mouth opened and spat up some venom, giving a slight disgusted sound - which Sasori didn't even try to figure out. "You can heal the old fashion way." The red head tossed the blonde the vial of water and the rag before getting to his feet, traipsing over to Hiruko's still trapped tail. Sasori had to pull the clay apart by hand, trying to free his favourite puppet.

-o-

…Yeah, I should have killed him before our relationship got really out of hand…I don't even know why I didn't end his life, I could have easily done it when the kid made me fix his arm…It would have been easy…

For the first fifteen years of my life, I had been taught to never 'love' anything or anyone. This, of course, had been easy for me as I had lost sight of the meaning of that stupid emotion.

I had been instructed that such pitiful things would only jeopardize a mission, and my future. From a young age I had been brought up to believe that one should never show mercy, and that if a chance was given, that it should be used to one's advantage. Honour and pride were the most treasured prizes, allies were disposable, and enemies deserved an agonizing death. Being noble meant nothing.

And then the next seventeen years had held almost the same kind of teachings. Enemies still deserved to die painfully, but allies were not as disposable, just more so than a mission. Honour and pride could be thrown away if it meant achieving a goal, these intangible treasures becoming easily tarnished. Being noble still meant nothing.

And yet, I had not completed my own mission to kill the blonde, despite the humiliation he continuously caused me. On that day, Deidara had not been my ally, he had been my enemy. But I had not given him a painful death; instead I had helped the Brat…

I have developed a serious problem. I just can't kill those who are nice to me anymore. And I think Deidara has gained the same problem.

-o-

Sasori and Deidara were on a reconnaissance mission to the Land of Waves, which had been a poverty-stricken country for a few years after a dictator by the name of Gato had turned it into a monopoly. There had been word that the tyrant had recently been killed, and a bridge had been built to enable trade with the mainland. Pein had sent the duo to investigate the country; to find out the state of the nation and to see if it had dramatically altered.

"So what's the name of this bridge, un?" Both Akatsuki were looking over the side of said landmark, watching small boats row across the water surface below. So far the country appeared to be doing quite well compared to past reports of the nation. Tourists were strolling across the bridge, looking around, and there was a man taking commemorative photos of sightseers for money.

"It's called the Great Naruto Bridge, and it was built fairly recently to connect the Wave Country to the Fire Country to enable trade. It has also become a fairly popular tourist location in the past few months, which has increased the trade and tourism of this place." Sasori shrugged and continued to look off of the edge of the bridge while the blonde began to look around.

"You know way too much, Danna. Seriously, you're a walking encyclopaedia, un." Deidara snickered and Sasori gave an annoyed sigh at the blonde's usual banter. The sixteen year old continued to look around, giving a slight sound of interest after a few more seconds. "Want to get our picture taken? I'll buy."

"Why the hell would I want photographic evidence of us together? Let's go, Brat." Sasori turned and began to lurch Hiruko across the bridge, towards the town. After a few seconds Deidara caught up to the puppet, walking next to him like a loyal dog. "Now come on, we have a mission to do."

"It's just scouting; it's not like there are even any Shinobi in this country un. Live a little and stop being such a tight ass…" Deidara gave Sasori a smirk of innuendo, raising his eyebrows at the puppet. "I mean, being a 'Tight Ass' is _my _job."

"That was a whole fucking month ago!" Sasori almost hit the blonde with Hiruko's tail, but decided against it due to the fact that he didn't want to draw any attention…Well, _more _attention considering that they were two shady figures walking down the street in matching black cloaks with clouds on… "Quit bringing it up and let me live it down."

"I'm sixteen years old, un." Deidara gave a shrug and looked around the street as they walked, seeing nothing of particular interest. "Sex is the only thing I think of."

Sasori scoffed and shook Hiruko's head in annoyance, wanting to hurt the blonde badly. "Don't use that as your excuse, Brat. When I was sixteen I _never_ thought about sex."

Deidara gave a smirk at Sasori, crossing his arms tightly, and the red head braced him self for the following comment. "When you were sixteen, sex wasn't even invented, un."

"…" Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a sigh, continuing forward. "Now that was just weak, Brat. On the contrary, when I was sixteen, you were born…And I turned myself into a-" The red head managed to cut himself off before he stated the fact that he was a human puppet while walking down a busy street. "…Point being, stop talking about sex. Think about it however the much you want, just don't bother me with it. Go find some prostitute and use her/him to satisfy your hormones, because one time having sex with you was way too many for me."

"…" Deidara gave an innocent look at the red head, also batting his eyes like some horny slut. "I never once during this entire conversation asked you for sex, Danna. My, you're an old pervert!" The blonde ditched the naïve act to give the usual smirk at the red head, uncrossing his arms. "Get your head out of the gutter, and stop making me seem like such a needy bitch, un. My hormones are a-okay. Honestly, Danna, just because I want you to fuck me doesn't mean I'm some kind of whore or a sperm dumpster."

"This is definitely _not_ an appropriate conversation to be having while walking down a crowded street, Brat…In fact; it isn't even a suitable discussion to have in private!" Sasori gave a hiss of annoyance and shook Hiruko's head a few times, wishing for the millionth time that he could be rid of the kid. God, he should have killed him a month ago…

Then again, Pein would have killed Sasori as well, but dammit, it would probably be better than putting up with Deidara by far.

"Since when do we ever have a conversation that isn't either about sex or art, un? What else is there to really talk about?" The blonde gave a shrug and a slight hum, diverting his course once he spotted a stall which caught his interest. Sasori sighed and was forced to follow the kid's new direction, stopping once Deidara stopped. The small stand sold both tiny replicas of the Great Naruto Bridge and frozen icy-poles.

The blonde picked up one of the sculptures and began to examine it. Sasori gave a sigh of annoyance, shaking Hiruko's head in irritation. "Don't waste your Ryo on such a stupid knickknack. We don't have room for it anyway." Deidara gave a hum and seemed to listen to Sasori's vast wisdom for once, placing the bridge replica back down as he settled for buying an icy-pole. They both turned and began walking down the street once more as Deidara began to eat his ice-cream.

"So Danna," the blonde ran his tongue up the red icy-pole, sucking on it for a few seconds before returning to talking, "are we going to find an inn or are we going to camp out tonight?"

"Well, considering the fact that the closest Shinobi village is Konohagakure, I think we will be safe enough camping out tonight. Besides, judging by the amount of tourists here the hotels would be mostly out of our budget." Deidara gave a nod and continued to suck on his icy-pole. "So let's see…The nation appears to be doing quite well ever since the construction of the bridge. I don't see any signs of intense poverty and the place appears to be quite-"

"Hey Danna, why don't we take a boat around the island, un?" Deidara had already finished off the icy-pole and he was currently chewing on the stick with his normal mouth.

"What the hell is wrong with you? First you wanted to have our picture taken, and now you want to go on a boat ride around the island?" Sasori scoffed in irritation, "Aren't _you_ in a romantic mood, Brat."

"That's not what I meant, un." Deidara rolled his eyes and snapped the ice-cream stick in half. "I was referring to a public ferry, you know, with lots of people on. I've seen several of them going around, and I thought that it would be appropriate for the mission to take one around the place to better assess the recent changes of the nation. Seriously, Danna, stop thinking that I'm in love with you, un."

"I never thought you were in _'love'_ with me, Brat. That's just disturbing." Sasori looked around and noticed a nearby port. "Fine, we'll catch a ferry, but no funny business."

"Awww, but I'm always funny~" Deidara smirked at the red head and the puppet simply gave a sigh as he moved Hiruko in the direction of the port. The blonde followed Sasori, tossing one half of the popsicle stick into a bin and then proceeding to chew of the other half with his facial orifice. They reached the end of the wharf and began to wait for a ferry to show up. During the ten minute wait, the duo began to have their usual argument caused by their differing views of art.

"Art is Eternal, Brat. If something doesn't last long enough for it to gain value and appreciation, then when it goes there is nobody who would care that it is gone." Sasori looked to the left and noticed a ferry approaching in the distance.

"Yeah, but if something lasts too long, then people will get bored and _want_ to destroy it." Deidara also noticed the advancing boat, and then he gave a smirk at the red head, pulling the popsicle stick from his mouth. "You've been putting up with me for two years and you already want to destroy me, un." The kid chuckled and Sasori gave a sigh.

"You are not Eternal, Brat, unlike my self. I just have to put up with you until your life ends, which is nothing compared to the lifespan I plan to live." The ferry grew closer, and they ended the debate.

The boat pulled up at the wharf and the door opened to allow the Akatsuki members on board. A man stood to welcome them, giving a smile. "Greetings, for two people to ride the ferry it costs a total of 50 ryo, please." Deidara nodded and handed the man the requested money, both of them traipsing to a pair of empty seats with the blonde sitting the closest to the water. The ferry took off and Deidara leaned his elbow on the edge of the boat, looking out at the recently prosperous nation which sat beyond the deep blue water.


	44. Face Paint Part Two

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Four

Face Paint Part Two

Deidara was fiddling with his eye-scope, examining the land closely from the boat. Sasori looked around at the other people who were on the ferry, finding that the majority were obviously tourists. This consisted of the usual, such as families with children and couples, likely on their honeymoon or just for the hell of having a holiday. "They appear to be setting up for some kind of festival…" The red head raised Hiruko's eyebrow and followed the blonde's gaze, noticing that Deidara was correct. Colourful lanterns were being strung up and more stalls were being set along the sides of the streets. "What do you think it is they're doing, un?"

"Oh, don't you know?" They both blinked as the woman who was sitting in the seat infront of them turned around, giving the Akatsuki members a smile. "The villagers throw a festival once a month on the full moon night. You two must be awfully lucky if you came without even knowing that it was on!" The woman gave a laugh and smiled widely at them.

Deidara grinned back at the female, discretely moving his hair bang to hide his eye-scope from her. "Really, un? Well, we really are lucky, aren't we, Danna?" The blonde smiled at Sasori, and he simply rolled the eyes of his puppet.

The woman blinked at them, looking back and forth between the Akatsuki members, clearly taken aback by the red head's nickname. "'Danna'? I know it is rude to ask, but what exactly is your…Relationship?"

Sasori shot the woman a glare, finding her comment to be extremely rude. "Definitely not what you have in mind, lady, and I don't think that it is any of your _business_." The woman crinkled her nose slightly, turning back around in her seat to face away from the duo. Deidara gave him a smirk and Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes in annoyance, "Stop slacking, Brat." The blonde gave a slight laugh before turning back to the side of the ferry, returning to examining the land.

-x-

The duo had found a clearing that they would camp in – in the forest - and they were currently waiting for the sun to set. "So we will infiltrate and observe this festival to better assess the population growth. You'll have to create your clay bird and then you'll gauge the amount of people and the situation which the majority of them are now in. So-"

"I have a better idea, un." Deidara moved his hands to the top of his Akatsuki cloak and he began to undo the buttons. "Why don't we just go to the festival and have some fun. God, its all work, work, work with you! Live a little, un!"

Sasori sneered and shook Hiruko's head, "I'd rather not, Brat. This is a serious operation and we shall treat it as such." Deidara finished removing his cloak, slinging it over his arm before giving the red head a smirk. "…What?"

"Well, you know; we can either go to the festival, or we can spend the entire night conversing about the usual stuff~ You know; sex, art, sex, sex, art, and more sex. But if we go to the festival, then I promise that I won't even mention the word sex for all of tonight!" Deidara smirked even wider, and Sasori gave an annoyed sigh.

"Fine; we'll go to the stupid festival. But why the hell did you have to take your Akatsuki cloak off?" The blonde gave a small laugh and traipsed over to Hiruko, kneeling down next to the puppet. "…And what are you doing?"

"Well, we wanna fit in with the other tourists, right? Akatsuki cloaks draw way too much attention…" Deidara leaned forward and began trying to pry the puppet open, "And so does Hiruko. Now come on Danna, get out of there and get ready."

The blonde managed to pry open the carapace and the real Sasori opened up his muddy eyes to glare at Deidara. "Hell no; I am not going out in public without Hiruko, Brat." The red head made a move to shut the puppet, but the blonde kept it wedged open.

"Come on, Danna, you know I'm right! Hiruko draws way too much attention, and I already know that you're over your Haptephobia, un." Deidara struggled to keep the carapace open, and he ended up falling inside of the puppet, on top of the red head. Sasori sneered as he was pushed down, giving a groan.

"Fine! I'll go out without Hiruko! Happy?" Deidara sat up and gave the red head a grin before moving to undo the button of the red head's cloak.

"You can't wear this thing though, so off it goes, un!" Sasori growled and shoved the blonde out of Hiruko, beginning to undo his Akatsuki cloak himself.

"I can do it." The red head shucked the uniform off, revealing his puppet body from beneath. "But if I can't wear it, then what – prey tell - am I supposed to do to hide my true form, Brat?"

"Use your Human Jutsu, Danna~" Deidara smirked widely with a hint of seduction laced in his voice.

"No way, Brat…" Sasori began to rummage around in the various compartments of Hiruko, finding exactly what he was searching for. The red head pulled out a teal robe which had an embroidery of a golden lotus symbol stitched into both sides of the cloak and on the back. "Found it." Sasori got to his feet and pulled the robe back on, having not worn the outfit for fourteen years. "I originally got this cloak after I left Sunagakure and I fled to the Land of Tea…"

Deidara looked at the red head, blinking in slight confusion. "You're not one to reminisce, Danna…" The blonde removed his eye-scope and placed it in the folds of his creased Akatsuki cloak. "Why did you leave Sunagakure anyway?"

"…" Sasori looked away from the blonde as he straightened the teal robe and began to button it up. "I left because I had nothing more to gain from that messed up hellhole." Deidara gave a slight nod, but obviously didn't believe the red head.

The puppet was still searching for that almost tangible thing that he had seen all those years ago. He no longer knew what it was he sought; he just knew that he had to find it.

Sasori finished buttoning the cloak and he looked down at himself, raising an eyebrow. It hid his puppet torso well, but- "I can still see your neck joint, un. I guess that means that you have to use your Human Jutsu~"

The red head shot the blonde a useless glare, before giving a sigh of defeat. "I hate you, Brat…Try anything, and I will sever your head and put it on a pike." Deidara shrugged and Sasori gave a sigh, making several hand signs to initiate the Jutsu.

There was a puff of smoke and he shuddered at the feeling of returning sensation. After a few seconds he dropped his hands and stepped out of Hiruko. He was now in the body of what he would have been like had he not ever reverted himself into a puppet, that being one of a thirty-two year old. Sasori was now taller than the blonde and said boy was giving the red head a calculating look.

"Now hand me your Akatsuki cloak." Deidara traipsed over to the red head and held out his clothes with the eye-scope still safe within the folds. Sasori took the uniform and placed it next to his own inside of Hiruko, picking up both an empty scroll and a pouch from inside. The bag contained a few clusters of senbon needles coated in his poison, one kunai knife and a pouch which contained most of Sasori's money. He tied the bag around his waist and shut Hiruko's hatch, sealing the puppet into his scroll before placing the paper into the pouch. "Fine then, let's go."

"In a bit; the sun is about to set and the festival doesn't even start until its night time, un." Deidara began traipsing in a direction that didn't lead to the village. Sasori sighed and caught up to the blonde to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid. Eventually they made their way to a small secluded beach which possessed a nice view of the plain sunset. Deidara sat down on the sandy shore and gestured for the red head to sit next to him on the various grains. Sasori was still for a few seconds before traipsing forward and joining the blonde in gazing at the boring sunset.

"…" They sat in silence for a few seconds, before Sasori gave a slight smirk. "Isn't this stupid? I've seen the sunset dozens of times at will inside of my Bringer-of-Illusions Jutsu, and I could make it any colour. Compared to that, this is weak."

"Stop being such a tight ass. When was the last time you actually stopped and saw a _real _sunset, un?" Sasori stopped, and thought for a few seconds.

"…People grow up too fast." The red head lay down in the sand and started to look up at the clouds that lolled in the sky above, frowning as he tried to grasp at the air of a memory which he couldn't quite recall.

"…" Deidara lay down as well, also looking up at the moving clouds with little interest. "What are you thinking about, Danna?"

"I'm not sure. I'm trying to remember something, but I can't quite grasp it…Karura and I sometimes watched the sunsets in Sunagakure from the side ledges outside of the village, and I remember one time we made a promise…But I can't recall what it was…" Sasori frowned harder and then gave a slight curse. No, he had let go of the girl. She was no longer important! So why the fuck couldn't he just shove her aside?

"Karura? You mean that girl who…Man, I can't remember what you told me…Something about marrying you and becoming Kazekage?" Deidara gave a yawn and sat back up so that he could once again watch the sunset.

Sasori continued to watch the clouds drift by, trying to grasp the memory once again. There were too many clouds – it would rain tonight. "…" The red head slowly sat up as well, and he was quiet for a few seconds more. "Deidara, give me your hand." The blonde blinked at Sasori, but after a few moments he did what the red head ordered. Sasori took Deidara's hand in his own, entwining their fingers loosely, the act finally allowing him to recall the memory which he had been trying to remember.

_Sasori gave a sigh of slight irritation and blindly groped around the dirt until he found Karura's hand. He took it and the best friends entwined their fingers, a symbol of their almost unbreakable bond. "Karura…" Sasori opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. She did the same and they both stared at the other with odd seriousness; the sun finally fell behind the horizon, and the heat completely disappeared. "Can life remain this way forever?"_

_The blonde gave him a small chaste smile, barely visible, but still evident. Her grasp on his hand tightened both reassuringly and affectionately. "I hope so, Sasori…" The coldness of the night was becoming more evident as the seconds progressed, but neither even noticed the icy chill. "I hope so."_

Sasori continued to stare dumbstruck at their entwined fingers, until he felt something slip down his cheek. Deidara untangled their hands and brought his palm to Sasori's face, catching the small drop of emotion on his index finger. He brought it over to his own face and examined it for a few seconds, raising his eyebrows and looking back at the red head. "Are you crying, un?"

"…" Deidara moved his hand back to Sasori's cheek to catch another drop – even though there were no more - when the red head slapped the blonde's tender act away. "I'm an S-Classed missing nin. I don't cry." Sasori got to his feet and rubbed his eyes, successfully stopping the random flow of tears. He had no reason to pity the dead. He watched the sunset for a few more seconds before giving a wholehearted scowl. "Let's go."

It hadn't been his tear – it had belonged to that crying child that lurked in the recesses of his entity.

Deidara gave a sigh and a nod, getting to his feet as well. "Come on, Danna, the sun will set in like three seconds time, and I want to watch it."

Sasori scowled further and unexpectedly slapped the blonde across the face.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT YOU, YOUR FUCKING SUNSET, OR YOUR FUCKING PROMISES!" The red head blinked in shook, realising that he had once again spoken to the blonde as if he were Karura. Deidara gave him an unreadable look and began to rub his cheek which was now an angry red where Sasori had hit him.

"Wow…Sorry for being born, Danna; maybe you should have killed my mother when you had the chance." Deidara turned and made a move to waltz back into the woods, when Sasori grabbed onto his wrist.

"Okay; I'm sorry…" The red head gave a sigh and pulled the blonde to face him, looking into Deidara's icy forget-me-not eyes. "I wasn't talking about you, it's just I thought I had finally let go of Karura, but I guess I was…_Wrong_…"

That word tasted foul.

The blonde blinked at him slowly, before tilting his head slightly. "Don't let go of the dead, Danna. Especially if they don't deserve to just get shoved aside, un." Deidara managed a soft wise smile up at Sasori, despite his undoubtedly throbbing cheek. "They disappoint and they disappear; but they don't die." The next thing the red head knew, Deidara had pulled him into an almost soothing embrace. His usual reaction would have been to beat the blonde to a bloody pulp, but being in his human form changed the situation. The actual sensation of Deidara pressed against him, trying to comfort the red head, gave the act actual meaning in Sasori's head.

Slowly, the red head wrapped his arms back around the blonde and half returned the gesture. After less than a minute, Sasori pulled away, giving the blonde a dull look. "…Don't ever hug me again."

Deidara smirked at the red head and moved his face close to Sasori's, as if he was about to kiss him. He stopped when their lips were but a mere centimetre apart, and gave a slight chuckle. "Na, I don't think I'll push my luck any further, un." Deidara pulled away and smirked wider at the red head, who in turn scoffed and shoved the blonde away from him.

They both turned and watched as the sun finally sunk below the horizon, and the world grew dark. "…How pitiful." Sasori sighed and slowly shook his head, turning to face the woods. "Now let's go to that damn festival already." Deidara smiled at the red head and gave a nod as they both began walking in the direction of the village.

-x-

By the time Sasori and Deidara reached the main street, the full moon was high in the sky. Children were running around with sparklers, bright coloured lanterns lit the night, and people were everywhere. Stall owners were trying to persuade tourists to buy their goods and food was being cooked over coal fires, wafting most likely delicious scents which Sasori could only faintly smell due to his lack of smelling-capabilities. Deidara immediately made a move to run off, but the red head nonchalantly stopped the blonde by grabbing onto his pony-tail. The sixteen year old comically ran on the spot, trying to desperately escape Sasori's grip, but after a few seconds he gave up. "…Fine…"

"Good." The red head let go of the blonde and Deidara straightened up, rubbing his sore scalp. "Now, let's move." They began to traipse down the street, ignoring the vendors who called out to them and the adolescents who ran past.

Deidara walked to one of the stalls, and Sasori stopped to keep an eye on the blonde. After about a minute the sixteen year old turned back, giving the red head a wide grin. In his hand, he held a sparkler which burned unbearably bright. Deidara laughed and ran back over to Sasori, waving the stick around vigorously. "Danna! Danna! Danna! Looky, looky, looky! Art!" …Around sparkly objects, Deidara's mentality reverted to that of a child… "Isn't it pretty~" God, if that is what a simple sparkler did to the blonde, then Sasori seriously did not want to see what he was like around fireworks.

Sasori almost hit the blonde, but he decided not to due to the fact that they were surrounded by civilians. Deidara continued to wave the stupid stick around, and the red head just started to calmly walk along. The blonde ran around like one of the children, laughing and flamboyantly swinging the sparkler around as if he were five years old. Sasori rolled his eyes and gave a sigh, continuing to traipse along the street. He looked around at the different stalls, not at all surprised to see that they were all selling practically the same stuff as they had during the day.

Eventually Deidara returned once his sparkler had burnt out, appearing to have reverted back to his normal mentality. "So, how are you liking the festival so far, Danna?"

"I've been to festivals before, Brat; they're all the same." Sasori gave a shrug and looked back to the blonde. "And no more sparklers for you, Brat; they turn you into a blubbering baby. Try to keep _some_ dignity."

"God, you need to lighten up, Danna." Deidara rolled his eyes and dropped the spent sparkler stick into a nearby bin before continuing to walk. "Look, face painting, un!" The blonde grabbed Sasori by the hand and dragged the red head to a store, ducking in below the decorative cloths which sat above the entrance. "Come on, let's paint each others faces!"

"He no!" Sasori struggled against the blonde, but Deidara refused to let go. "I said no, Brat!"

"Come on, Danna, lighten up! I promise that I won't paint anything bad on your face, and I'll let you paint as embarrassing as you want on mine!" The next thing Sasori knew he was pulled into a seat with the blonde sitting across from him. "Now stop making a scene, Danna." A woman came up to them and Deidara payed her 15 ryo for the both of them. She smiled and placed a palette on the table between them which had several coloured paints on it and two paint brushes. "Now let me paint, un."

"No." Sasori made a move to leave, but Deidara grabbed onto his wrist, successfully stopping him. "Let go."

"Come on, Danna. Lighten up and enjoy the festival! I promise that if you don't like what I paint, then you can wash it off right away, un! Besides, it'll help us blend in better!" Sasori was silent for a few seconds, before giving up and sitting back down. Deidara's face brightened and he immediately grabbed a paint brush, dabbing it in the snow white paste. He began to paint something on Sasori's cheek, and the red head couldn't help but shiver at the feeling of the cold paste against his skin.

-x-

"Done!" Deidara pulled away, giving the red head a wide Cheshire grin. "See?" He picked up the small handheld mirror and showed Sasori his reflection. Deidara had painted a picture of his C3 explosive known as Ohako. It was a clay creation made out of a large ball with a smaller ball on top of it, a wide mouth, a pointed head, and two wing-like arms, one of which extended up the bridge of Sasori's nose. On his other cheek were two of Deidara's small C1 birds, fluttering without motion. "Like it?"

"…" Sasori raised an eyebrow at the neat paintings and after a few seconds he gave a shrug. "It's alright I guess, just as long as the paintings don't make my face explode…They wont, will they?" The red head shot the blonde a cautious glare and Deidara simply laughed.

"Of course not, Danna; you saw that I just used the paints they provided, un." The blonde smiled widely and moved his hair bang behind his ear. "Now paint my face!" Sasori rolled his eyes and picked up a clean brush, immediately dipping it into the splodge of blood red.


	45. Freewill

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Five

Freewill

Sasori had painted five red lines moving from the bottom of Deidara's right eye to his jaw line, and he was currently doing the same on the opposite side. After a few more seconds, he had finished with the lines, and put both a vertical stroke across Deidara's face and one horizontally down his countenance. To finish off, Sasori dabbed the fingertips on his right hand in the blood red paint and brought them up to Deidara's face. He placed one finger print on each cheek and three in between the blonde's eyebrows. "There." Sasori picked the handheld mirror up and showed Deidara his face with the paint on it. "I did the most embarrassing thing I could think of."

The blonde blinked and tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow at his reflection. "…I don't get it, un…It's just a bunch of lines…I was expecting you to paint makeup on me, but I don't see what is so embarrassing about this…"

"I wore face paint in the same style as I have done on you for…" Sasori mentally counted, "eight years when I was a part of the Sunagakure Puppet Brigade." Sasori gave a smirk of amusement, "To me, seeing you wearing it is the funniest thing ever."

"…" Deidara abruptly burst out in uncontrollable laughter, causing several people to look their way. For a few seconds, Sasori didn't know what to do to silence the blonde. "YOU HAVE THE MOST FUCKED UP SENSE OF HUMOUR, DANNA!" Deidara continued to laugh hard, slipping out of his seat to roll about on the floor. Sasori stared at the blonde in silent horror for a few seconds, until he felt a smile cross his lips.

And the red head, for the first time in a while, began to genuinely laugh.

He chortled hard at the stupid blonde, and he ended up falling off of the chair as well. Sasori immediately gave a pained groan, and both he and Deidara made eye contact. A few seconds of silence ticked by, before the Akatsuki duo abruptly burst out laughing once again. They remained that way until the owner of the shop made her way over to them and questioned whether they were alright.

Sasori immediately stopped laughing and looked up at her, feeling an embarrassed flush tinting his cheeks. The red head sat up, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head before he got to his feet. He grabbed Deidara by his ponytail and pulled him to stand as well, the blonde putting up no struggle. "I'm sorry…Thank you for the paint, ma'am." He quickly dragged Deidara from the store, pulling him back out into the street…and into the rain.

Sasori sneered and pulled the blonde back beneath a veranda where several other people were also huddled. He hadn't noticed that it had started to pour when he had been inside…

"Hey Danna?" Sasori looked down at the blonde, letting go of his ponytail as he did so. Deidara rubbed his head slightly and blinked up at the red head, giving a slight smirk. The face paint was still untarnished, and Sasori guessed that his own facial paint was also intact. "What was your favourite food?"

"Dim Sum." Sasori gave a shrug, remembering the treat from his childhood. "But I can't have anything other than liquids, even in this form. My stomach is small and any solids will just make me vomit, which I would rather not." The red head cringed in distaste, definitely not wanting to puke ever again in life.

"Oh…" Deidara scratched the back of his head and looked out into the rain, before brightening up spontaneously. He turned back to Sasori and smiled up at him, "What about your favourite drink?"

Sasori raised an eyebrow at the blonde, tilting his head subtly. "Green Tea." He gave a shrug and a few seconds of thought. "I guess one glass probably wouldn't make me vomit, but there isn't much use since I can't taste anyway…" Sasori shivered slightly and rubbed his arms through the teal robe, trying to warm himself up a bit, mentally cursing this mortal body.

Deidara leaned against him, nuzzling his shoulder slightly. "You know, we could always get warm by cuddling, un~" Sasori sneered and pushed the blonde away from him, snorting in distaste. Deidara gave a short laugh and returned back to the red head's side, but he was wise enough not to try and snuggle up against him again. "Well, we could go find a nice little café to sit in and have some green tea in order to get warm. My treat, un."

"…" Sasori raised an eyebrow at the blonde, tilting his head back to its normal position. "Do you have any ulterior motives, Brat?"

Deidara smiled up at him innocently, shaking his head. "Na, I just wanna treat my Danna to some tea to thank him for letting me live for almost three years already. Now come on, un." The blonde grabbed Sasori's hand and he began running through the rain in search of a small indoor café, dragging the red head along behind him.

-x-

They entered a small teashop which was only moderately crowded despite the outside rain, and both Akatsuki members managed to find a table to sit at. Sasori sat down and the blonde smiled down at the red head. "I'll get our tea, un."

"Okay." Sasori nodded and Deidara waltzed to the counter to order the drinks for the duo. The red head felt his cheek, gazing down at his fingers. The face paint didn't appear to be coming off, despite the rain. Well, at least it was of such good quality that a bit of rain didn't wash it off.

He looked around at the other people, noticing that a few of them were also wearing face paint, except they were subject to flowers, butterflies and rainbows rather than clay explosives and lines. Sasori cautiously noticed that there was one group who were clearly a squad of Shinobi from Konohagakure, but judging by their age they were only Genin, so they were nothing to be paranoid about. The Jonin of the group also didn't appear to pose much threat either, but more so than his underlings. Sasori gave him a weary eye for a few more seconds, before deeming him to be no such hazard.

Deidara came back over to the table carrying two cups of green tea, handing one to the red head. Sasori placed it onto the table and the blonde sat down across from him, smiling sweetly at the red head. "Thank you, Deidara."

The blonde blinked at him, tilting his head in confusion. "You're calling me by my actual name again, un?"

The red head gave a shrug and ran a hand through his hair, looking around slowly, "Yeah…I figure that you've earned your identity once again…Just don't do anything stupid, and this time you might actually keep the title for more than a few days." Deidara nodded hesitantly and Sasori picked up his cup of green tea, moving to take a sip from it. He was surprised, however, when he felt the drink get ripped from his hand. Sasori blinked and looked at the blonde who had snatched the drink off of him.

Deidara quickly chugged the boiling tea down in one gulp, slamming the cup onto the table with a sigh of relief. Sasori blinked at him in confusion, and the blonde gave him a sheepish smile, sweat-dropping slightly. "Sorry…Here, have my tea, Danna." Deidara pushed his cup forward, and the red head picked it up, frowning at the blonde cautiously.

"…Okay…?" He took a sip of the tea, delighted by the sensation of drinking the hot liquid after years of nothing, despite the inability to actually taste it. Sasori gave a small, content sigh, finding the tea to be quite soothing. The blonde was right, some times he just needed to relax or else he was going to die from stress. Sasori closed his eyes, completely at peace as he took another sip. He was distracted, however, by the sound of harsh tapping, and Sasori opened his eyes to see the blonde looking noticeably uneasy. The red head frowned and placed the cup down, giving another sigh, but this time one of irritation. "What's wrong now?"

Deidara jumped slightly and gave the red head a nervous grin. "Ah, nothing, Danna…Just one thing…If I start acting weird, please don't get angry, un…Or kill me…Or ditch me on the street…Oh, and I give you permission to take full advantage of me~…"

Sasori gave the blonde a vapid look, "What the _fuck_ have you done now, Deidara?"

The sixteen year old gave another nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "…I kind of put a drug in your green tea, but after you said all that stuff about me earning my identity…I kind of purposely drank it my self, un…" Deidara gave another anxious laugh and continued his awkward grin.

Sasori stared at the blonde, completely dumbstruck by his stupidity. "…You…Were going to drug me…?" He didn't know whether to be worried, or utterly enraged.

Deidara's eyes widened slightly and he quickly shook his hands. "No! Well…Yes…But it isn't deadly! I just wanted you to have a bit of fun, un! 'Cause you are always so uptight, and I thought that you needed a bit of help in order to relax! I mean-" Deidara gave a harsh hiss and lowered his head so that his hair covered up his face. "Gawd~" Sasori noticed the blonde was digging his nails into the table, and he was breathing increasingly harsher.

"Deidara, are you okay?" Sasori leaned down and pulled the blonde's head up so that he could look at Deidara's face, the sight causing his eyes to widen slightly. The sixteen years old's cheeks were dusted with a red blush and his eyes were diluted as the drug began to take its toll. He was panting almost needily with a line of drool running down his lips and the look on his face was one of wanton lust. These symptoms continued to increase as the seconds went by, and Deidara gave a slight groan and a gasp, fluttering his eyelashes slightly.

"_Danna~_" The blonde gave a gentle moan and brought his right hand shakily up to Sasori's cheek. The tongue of the palm lolled out and licked at the red head's skin seductively. _"I need you…"_

Sasori blinked at the blonde, opening his mouth slightly in shock, and then closing his mouth again. The red head sneered and got to his feet, letting go of Deidara. He stared down at the blushing blonde and gave an irritated sigh as he walked over to Deidara. Sasori picked the kid up and slung him over his shoulder, giving a scowl of utter distaste as he felt something jab into him. Oh dammit, when the blonde had been going to give him the drug, he had not wanted the red head to relax, he had wanted Sasori to fuck him! …Ironically, the drug probably wouldn't have worked on the red head, even if he had ingested it, because it probably would have just made Sasori revert into puppet form. Stupid Brat.

Sasori stepped out into the rain and began to traipse towards the forest, deciding that getting the blonde away from the public was the best thing to do. Screw the fucking festival.

-x-

Sasori lay inside of Hiruko, eyes closed in irritation. Despite being hidden away in his carapace, he could still hear the blonde crying out for him just outside. He had ended up tying Deidara to a tree to try and keep the kid from annoying him or hurting himself. But Sasori could still hear the blonde pleading away in the nearby distance, begging for the red head far too desperately.

This was definitely not Deidara's style.

Sasori didn't even know why he was still in his human form…Well, he knew why, but it made him feel disgusted with himself. Part of him actually _wanted_ to leave the safety of Hiruko and to fuck the blonde senseless! The voice was becoming increasingly louder and irritating by the second.

"Danna~! Please, I need you~!" Deidara gave a whine, and Sasori gave a growl of frustration, feeling his pants become uncomfortably tighter. Stupid fucking brat! Sasori opened Hiruko up and got to his feet, scowling at the blonde. It was still raining, but the tree branches above lessened the downpour. Deidara brightened up at the sight of the red head, and he pulled against the ropes around his wrists, but he was unable to break them. "Danna~?"

Sasori unbuttoned his teal Tea Country robe, and much to the blonde's delight, he traipsed forward to Deidara. The red head moved the sixteen year old's fringe behind his ear so that he could get a good view of the blonde's face. The face paint was beginning to dribble down his cheeks due to the rain, and he was blushing even redder than he had been when the poison had first started to affect him. Deidara was breathing harshly and lustfully, and he tried tugging at his wrist bindings again.

"Danna~ Please~" Deidara's mind was definitely nebulous, since under ordinary circumstances the blonde would have been able to easily escape the bindings around his wrists. Deidara pulled against the ropes and leaned his head forward, trying to capture Sasori's lips in a kiss. The red head sneered and shoved the blonde's shoulders against the tree trunk, causing Deidara to give a groan, but once again the blonde tried to outstretch his neck far enough to kiss Sasori.

The red head scoffed and crashed their lips together, pressing Deidara's head against the tree trunk. The blonde gave a needy moan into the kiss, opening his mouth to provoke Sasori to deepen the act of fondness. The red head pushed his tongue inside of Deidara's orifice, pressing the blonde against the tree harder. Their tongues fought for only a short while as the intoxicated sixteen year old submitted, letting Sasori have full access to his mouth. The red head explored the blonde's orifice, rubbing Deidara's tongue with his own.

His mouth was unbelievably hot, and Sasori found that he actually enjoyed the kiss to some extent. He brought his hands up to cup Deidara's still painted cheeks, smearing the red paste across the blonde's skin as he kissed him even deeper. The sixteen year old pressed back eagerly, seeming to relish in the rare act of affection from the red head.

The blonde moaned into the red head's mouth and wrapped his legs around Sasori's waist, purposely moving his hips to desperately rub their crotches together. The red head gave a slight groan and pulled their mouths away, once again pinning Deidara back to the tree. He gave the blonde a wide smirk as new idea formed in his mind as he decided to take advantage of the situation. "What will you give me?"

The blonde gave him a desperate, puppy dog look, and he gave a slight whine; the boy was clearly too needy to think of the red head's motives. "Anything you want, un! Just please, fuck me!" Deidara moaned and rubbed their crotches together, writhing in pleasure and practically begging for more.

Sasori groaned and managed to pull himself away from the blonde so that the sixteen year old was unable to reach him. Deidara whimpered and pulled desperately against the bindings, shooting the red head a needy look. "Give me…" Sasori frowned at the blonde and rubbed some rain out of his own brown eyes before looking back to Deidara. Oh yeah, the only thing that the kid had had that he had wanted was the dove bracelet, and now Sasori had that anyway…Deidara had nothing else to offer the red head…Except…His smirk reappeared, highly sadistic, "Give me your freewill."

The blonde stared at him like a deer in headlights, and a bit of commonsense appeared to make its way into Deidara's nebulous head. He flinched and the blonde shrank back into himself, giving a sneer as a shiver ran through his body. "…_What_?"

"You heard me." Sasori moved forward and lightly caressed Deidara's cheek, smearing the red face paint further and shifting his lips to the blonde's ear. He gave a smirk and ran a tongue over the outer shell, causing the kid to give a shudder and a vocal moan. "Give me your freewill. Follow every single whim that I ever utter. Be obedient, docile, and compliant…Become my little living _puppet_, and I'll fuck you as hard and for as long as you want~"

Deidara gave a petite groan, and whimpered as his true mentality fought against his drunken state of being. The blonde appeared to remember the fact that - in his case - letting Sasori gain complete control over him was an extremely _bad_ thing. Deidara quickly managed to shake his head in denial, and Sasori sneered at him before immediately reverting back to his seductive act. He wanted Deidara to become his puppet, and if that meant fucking the blonde senseless this one last time, then that would be the price he would set.

To Deidara, his freedom was just as precious as his art.

"I thought you wanted me to fuck you, Brat. All you have to do is give me your freewill, and all this sexual tension between us will completely disappear~" The red head once again ran his tongue over Deidara's ear and he pressed their bodies against each other. The blonde hissed and gave another whine, but struggled desperately to not fall under the puppeteer's seductive spell.

"NO!" Deidara began to try and get away from the red head, giving a loud hiss. "I WON'T BECOME YOUR PUPPET!" Sasori sneered as the blonde continued to struggle, and the red head stepped away from the kid in frustration.

The blonde gave Sasori a hopeless look, but then shut his eyes and snapped his head in a direction away from the red head, trying to remain as persistent as he always was - despite being intoxicated. The red head scoffed and turned, traipsing over to Hiruko without looking back. Before he stepped inside of the puppet, he wiped the face paint from his cheeks with the aid of the rain droplets and his sleeve. Once that was achieved, he undid his Human Jutsu, immediately losing any desire that he had had for the blonde in an instant.

Damn, he had thought that that would have succeeded. The blonde would one day become his puppet, but unfortunately, today was not that day. "Good night."

He spoke the words with venom and sarcasm, annoyed beyond words at Deidara's stupid persistence. Sasori stepped inside of Hiruko and sat down, closing the puppet in order to allow the blonde to quietly regret his decision to deny the red head alone.


	46. The Deal

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Six

The Deal

Sasori woke from his unconscious state slowly and without urgency, giving a short sigh of peace which quickly died once he recalled the events of the previous night. The red head sat up and looked around the inside of Hiruko, catching sight of both his and the kid's Akatsuki cloaks. Sasori solemnly replaced his teal Tea Country robe with his Akatsuki uniform, buttoning it up as sluggishly as possible. He looked at them slowly before he closed his eyes, taking full control over his puppet's consciousness. Sasori looked to the blonde, who was still unable to get away from the tree. At some point during the night he had moved to sit at the base of the trunk, wrists still tied together and legs lying at his sides. Deidara's heads was lolled forward and he was obviously sleeping, his soft snoring sounding strident in the silent surroundings of the woods.

Sasori frowned Hiruko's countenance and looked upwards at the sky which stretched high above the scene. It was dawn, and the sky was dyed blood red. Sasori stared at the sight, recalling an old saying that he had once heard. 'Red night, Shinobi's delight, red dawn, Shinobi's mourn'. The red head frowned in thought but could not remember who it was who had originally told him of the saying, but he recalled that it meant that there was a bad storm coming.

"Brat, wake up." Deidara continued to sleep and Sasori sent Hiruko's tail at the blonde with only half murderous intent. Just as he had guessed, the kid moved in a flash. He woke up and spun around so that he was on the opposite side of the trunk in an instant. Deidara had managed to position himself so that when Hiruko's tail hit the tree, it successfully sliced through his bindings as well. Deidara got to his feet and leaned against the trunk on the side opposite to Sasori, and the red head retracted Hiruko's tail.

The ropes fell to the ground and Deidara looked around the tree to the red head, blinking at him before giving a grin. "Morning Danna, sleep well?" The blonde waltzed around the tree to face the puppet, his smirk fading after a few seconds of thought. "So…Did you end up taking advantage of me last night, un?" Sasori simply scoffed and the blonde's face lit up as he seemed to recall hazy memories of last night, but then his facial expression reverted into a pout. "Oh…You heartless bastard."

"I'm not going to sleep with you if I have nothing to gain from it." Sasori gave a snort and opened Hiruko's hatch, holding the blonde's Akatsuki cloak and eye-scope out to him. "So don't try anything so stupid ever again."

Deidara gave a sigh and traipsed forward, taking his clothing from the red head. He gave a slight shiver and sneezed, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. "You didn't have to tie me up, un. Man, I probably have a cold from being out in the rain all night." Deidara pulled his Akatsuki cloak on and used his sleeve to wipe away the smeared red face paint, giving a sigh. "You're cruel and sadistic, Danna, I hope you know that."

"And you are an utter nuisance." Sasori sneered and shook Hiruko's head before giving a sigh. "If you had ended up drugging me it probably would have just caused me to revert back into my puppet form, so your heroic performance of trying to rescue me from yourself was completely in vain." He gave a scoff and looked back up at the still red dawn. "There will be a horrific storm soon, so I suggest we get a move on and find some proper shelter in the village."

Deidara nodded and attached his eye-scope back over his left orb, repositioning his blonde bang to hide it. "Onwards Danna." Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and began to move in the direction of the village with the blonde dully tittupping at his side. "So…If I had agreed last night to give you my freewill…Then would that have just been one fuck, or would I have been able to get sex whenever I wanted, un?"

Sasori looked at Deidara, raising one of Hiruko's eyebrows inquisitively. "Do you have a proposition, Brat?" The red head turned to face away from the blonde, continuing to lumber his puppet forward. "I'm listening."

"Oh, no, I don't have a proposition, Danna. The only thing that you want is my freewill, and that is something that I won't give to you just for one round of sex when I can just go out and sleep with a random prostitute, or better yet have my hand mouths take care of any 'problems' that 'arise', un." Deidara crinkled his nose in distaste – albeit he was smirking - and he ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the crimson sky. "Red dawn…Akatsuki…" He gave a hum and looked back to Sasori, giving him his smirk. "Red night Shinobi delight, red dawn Shinobi mourn."

"Precisely the reason why we are headed back to the village; a bad storm is brewing." Deidara gave a nod and smirked wider at the red head before looking forward once again.

-x-

The wind had already begun to blow by the time Sasori and Deidara reached the closest inn of the village that they could find. The duo traipsed inside of the entrance of the hotel, and to the front desk. There was no one there, but Deidara rang the bell which sat on the table, alerting the owner of their presence. After about a minute, a woman wearing a dressing gown and slippers sauntered out of a door on the side of the room, giving a yawn. "Good morning, I'm sorry for the wait; it's not usual to get customers this early." She gave them a small smile and opened up a book of guest lists, also drawing a quill from a pot of ink. "A room with two single beds?"

"No," Sasori quickly cut in with the usual statement, "just one bed…" The red head noticed the expression on her face, and he quickly cut in again. "Single bed, that is; I will be fine on the floor."

The woman blinked at them and then gave an apologetic smile. "…I'm sorry, but the rules are one sleeping space per person…So is that a double bed or two singles? Two beds would cost 340 ryo ($40), and for a double it is 300 ryo ($35)…"

Sasori gave an annoyed sigh, but was used to the occasional inn having the 'one sleeping space per person' rule. "Fine, just one double." The woman gave a nod and smiled at them both before writing in the guest book for a few seconds.

-x-

Deidara sat at the window, looking out at the world beyond. It had already started to pour and the wind was vicious. Sasori guessed that it would progress into a tropical cyclone or something of equal ferociousness. "It's really storming out there, un. I'm glad that we've moved into an inn; I'd hate to be out there in this weather." Deidara smirked over at Sasori for a few seconds before getting to his feet and waltzing over to the double bed, lying on the sheets. "Man, I'm still tired." The blonde kicked off his shoes and peeled off his Akatsuki cloak before he crawled beneath the bed covers, giving a content sigh.

"Stop blabbering on, Brat." Sasori opened Hiruko's hatch and traipsed over to the window, viewing out at the stormy world. The trees in the nearby forest blew viciously, and he noticed that one actually fell over in the distance. Rain splattered against the windowpane, like miniature shuriken that were completely harmless to those indoors.

"So you're calling me Brat again?" Sasori simply gave a nod, paying the blonde no further attention. Deidara gave a sigh and drew the covers further over himself. "Did you ever go outside of Hiruko as much as you do now than what you did with any of your other partners in the Akatsuki, or do you just trust me more than them, un?"

Sasori was taken slightly aback, and he found that he hadn't even realised that he had left the safety of Hiruko more often as time went by…

"With Orochimaru, he first saw me when I was fifteen years old - when I had just finished Hiruko - and he offered me a position in the Akatsuki which I denied at first. Then the following few times that I had met him, I would be outside of Hiruko…It was only when I first officially joined the Akatsuki, when I was twenty, that I decided that I would make Hiruko my identity. As time went by I retreated less and less out of my puppet, until the point where it was a truly rare occurrence to see my true self. My second partner, Kurow; in the year that I knew her, the only time she saw me was the day that I accidentally killed her. Then with you, the first time you were graced by viewing my real identity was when you almost blew yourself up, several days after we first met, but then you didn't see my self again until you almost froze to death."

"It's good to know that you show your real self when death is imminent." Deidara gave a yawn and rolled over in the bed, only half trying to fall asleep. "Yeah, I knew that that wasn't a genjutsu, un." The blonde gave a slight laugh and stretched like a feline across the mattress, "And oh my Danna, you actually _denied_ being a member of the Akatsuki? And yet you didn't give me a choice in the matter." Deidara gave another laugh and smirked over at the red head. "And you got offered when you were fifteen? I guess that means that they realised my potential an entire year before yours, un!" Sasori simply scoffed and Deidara soon stopped laughing. He was eerily quiet for a few more seconds, before the blonde sat up in the bed, raising an eyebrow at Sasori. "So…My freewill was the price?"

The red head looked over at Deidara, giving him an almost bored look. "You're seriously considering giving your freedom to me just for a quick fuck? You need a hobby."

The blonde scoffed and crossed his arms, giving a scowl at the red head. His expression faded, however, into the irksome cunning smirk. "How about if I agree, we get to have sex whenever I want, un?"

Sasori raised an eyebrow at the blonde, suddenly becoming interested in what he was saying. He wanted Deidara's freewill, and Deidara clearly wanted him. "…Go on…"

There was a sharp look in Deidara's forget-me-not eyes as he eagerly thought of a solution to both of their needs. "How about you have power over what I do, as long as it doesn't involve my style of art? But I still get to keep my freedom of speech. In exchange, we get to have sex whenever I want, un. Every little whim that you order me to do - as long as it doesn't involve speech or suicide - I must perform without question. I'll be your little physical puppet. Deal?"

Sasori frowned and thought about the offer for at least a minute, at some point turning back to gaze at the storming world beyond the window. He could order Deidara to do something, and he would do it.

Sasori would finally have control over the irritating blonde!

Of course, Deidara could still say what he liked, but words were not the same as actions. The blonde would at last be his puppet…

Sasori gave a smirk and looked back over to the sixteen year old, giving a slight sadistic chuckle. "It's a Deal." Deidara grinned back at him, narrowing his eyes subtly with glee. "But…" Sasori waved his finger at the blonde, straightening up and giving a superior look. "There have to be rules."

Deidara blinked at him and then gave a harsh moan, topping it with the normal pout. "You just gotta ruin everything, don't you Danna, un?" The blonde rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms, giving a sigh. "What are the rules?" Sasori gave a frown in thought and he began to list off the rules as he came up with them.

No sex if the moment is inappropriate.

No sex in public.

Nothing kinky, eg roleplay, whips, etc.

Sasori is always dominant.

Sasori can refuse if it breaks any of the first four rules.

Don't let anyone or the other members of the Akatsuki know.

Sasori can also say if at anytime he decides to have sex. Deidara can't refuse.

It was just sex, and should in no way advance their relationship beyond partners.

"And that is it…" Sasori gave a shrug and ran a hand through his hair, looking back to the cyclone outside.

"M'kay, but…" Deidara gave a slight chuckle and stretched his arms slightly, "I want to set some rules as well about my part of The Deal." Sasori gave a sigh and let the blonde continue.

If Sasori gave an order, Deidara had to follow it.

This has to have nothing to do with Deidara's art.

Deidara still has freedom of speech.

If Deidara wants to, they can cuddle after sex. Sasori can't refuse.

Deidara can refuse if the order results in Deidara getting killed, eg suicide.

Deidara is allowed to complain as much as he wants.

If required, Sasori must heal any injuries Deidara acquires from following his orders or during sex.

Deidara is allowed to kiss Sasori both inside and outside of sex without consequences.

Deidara grinned at the red head and Sasori slowly looked back at him, giving a reluctant sigh. "Fine then; agreed." The puppet gave a subtle frown of thought, and then ran a hand through his hair. "I guess this means I can't call you Brat anymore, or else this would probably be considered paedophilia…" Well, sixteen was technically legal; at least it had been in Sunagakure…The age usually varied from sixteen to eighteen depending on the country.

"Don't worry Danna, you ain't robbing the cradle; I'm just robbing the grave." Deidara burst out laughing at his own joke, and Sasori simply rolled his eyes in irritation. "Now come over here so we can seal The Deal with some sex, un~" Deidara patted the sheets, encouraging the red head to join him.

Sasori gave the world outside the window one last look before turning to the blonde, raising an eyebrow at him. "Right now?" Deidara nodded and the red head gave a slight sigh, kicking off his shoes. "Scoot to the other side of the bed." The blonde blinked at him, but then realised that Sasori was simply exercising his new found metaphorical strings over Deidara. The sixteen year old's smirk reformed and he did as the puppet master ordered, moving to the opposite side of the bed. Sasori couldn't help but smirk at the idea of the blonde obeying his every whim. "Get undressed." Deidara pulled his fishnet shirt from his body, tossing it off of the bed and then he set to work on his pants.

Sasori began to undo his Akatsuki cloak, dropping it on the floor casually and making several hand signs. The red head's body reverted into his human thirty-two year old form. "This is such a waste of chakra…" Sasori sighed and pulled off his Akatsuki leg warms, traipsing forward to the bed. Deidara was already undressed and waiting for the red head with the usual irksome smirk, as if he had received the better half of The Deal. Sasori crawled under the bed covers and moved over the blonde, giving him a vapid look. "Unlike my other set of rules, I order you to follow these ones."

-o-

The only one of The Deal rules on my part that he broke was the last one…

-o-

Deidara continued to smirk, giving a short chuckle while bringing one hand to caress Sasori's human chest. He moved his palm to the red head's neck and the tongue lapped at his nape, also teasing the soft flesh with its teeth. "Your wish is my command, Danna." Sasori was unbelievably turned on by the blonde's statement, feeling a shudder wrack through his body.

He loved control.

The red head ripped Deidara's hand away, pinning his wrists to the mattress below as he captured the blonde's lips in a kiss. He pressed down with enough power to bruise, forcing their chests against each other. Sasori shoved his tongue into Deidara's mouth and the blonde instantly submitted, letting the red head have full access to his orifice. Sasori ran his tongue over the walls of Deidara's mouth and his sensitive palate, rubbing his tongue harshly against the insides of the hot cavern.

The blonde moaned into Sasori's orifice, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the rough treatment. The red head pulled away and sat up, letting go of Deidara's wrists in the process. The sixteen year old gave him a confused expression, and Sasori smirked down at him with a sadistic glint in his eyes. "Roll over." Deidara opened his mouth, most likely to deny, but he stopped when he recalled The Deal he had just made. The blonde rolled his eyes and did as Sasori instructed, moving onto his stomach with his hips in the air.

Sasori brought his right hand around, squeezing it beneath the mattress and Deidara's chest to the mouth which sat on the left side of the blonde's torso. The red head slipped three fingers in-between the stitches and the orifice immediately began to suck on the digits, resulting in Deidara giving a moan at the sensitive sensation. Sasori only let the mouth suck on his fingers for a few seconds before he grew bored, removing his digits from the chest orifice.

"Give a good show." The red head positioned the digits at Deidara's entrance and immediately slipped all three inside of the blonde's heat. The sixteen year old gave a slight hiss and moved his hips forward instinctively, but other than that he didn't complain.

Deidara liked it rough.

He pulled the digits out almost instantly and he quickly peeled his pants off. Sasori tossed the trousers off of the bed and then positioned his already hard length at the blonde's entrance.

He gave a hard thrust in, and Deidara give a groan of agony as Sasori continued to push himself deep inside of the blonde, soon becoming fully enclosed. The red head gave a sigh and Deidara strained to regulate his pained breath, not letting on how bad it probably felt. Oh well, this was what the kid wanted, so he could handle a bit of pain. Sasori was kind enough to allow the blonde a minute to get used to the feeling of the red head being inside of him, but again the red head soon grew bored of waiting. "…Move, un…"

Sasori didn't need to be told twice as he immediately pulled mostly out and then gave a hard thrust forward. He had already had sex a month ago, so he wasn't at all surprised by the faint rush of pleasure that ran through his body this time around. Sasori decided to skip straight to pounding into the blonde relentlessly and unyielding, only half trying to find Deidara's sweet spot. The kid began to moan loudly at the mix of pain and pleasure, gripping tightly at the pillow which his head rested on. This continued for at least a minute until Deidara gave a loud cry, pushing his hips back against the red head in a silent plead for more. Sasori guessed that he had finally found the blonde's sweet spot, and he changed his angle subtly to continue to pound into the bundle of nerves.

The red head hit it again, and Deidara gave a similar reaction of crying out in bliss. Sasori savoured the sounds of pleasure that the blonde was mewing, and they goaded him to go even faster and even more vicious. The red head wrapped his arms around Deidara's waist, but quickly pulled his limbs away once he accidentally brushed against the blonde's leaking length. Deidara gave a loud breathy moan that didn't go unnoticed by the red head, and he gave a slight frown, stopping his motions completely. The blonde gave a groan of frustration and threw Sasori an annoyed look over his shoulder. The red head brushed off the look and cautiously moved his hand to Deidara's length, taking hold of the stiff shaft. The blonde gave a stifled gasp, bucking his hips ever so slightly as he pushed his face back into the pillow.

Sasori felt a smirk curve his lips and he gave a hard thrust forward, pumping Deidara's length as he did so. The result was a loud cry of pleasure - one of the loudest he had ever heard the blonde utter.

Sasori adored the sound.

He began to repeat the action, pounding into Deidara's body once again and pumping his length simultaneously. The blonde's cries of pleasure only grew louder, and Sasori knew that neither of them would last much longer. He quickened his movements and squeezed Deidara's length tighter, trying to finish up.

The blonde practically screamed as he came over both the mattress and his own chest, his already tight walls constricting around Sasori's shaft. After several more thrusts, the red head came deep inside of the blonde, giving a harsh sigh of pleasured relief. He managed to move his hand away from Deidara's length before he purposely collapsed on top of the blonde, resulting in the sixteen year old giving a loud groan. "Danna…you're…heavy…un…"

"Deal…with it…" Sasori remained lying on top of the significantly-younger male for a few more minutes, before he finally decided to allow the blonde the ability to breathe. The red head pulled his length out of Deidara and rolled to the other side of the bed, collapsing onto his back with a sigh. He pulled the covers up from where they had shifted at their feet so that they now sheltered them, also accidentally covering Deidara's head in the process. The blonde gave a groan and moved over to the red head, poking his head out from beneath the covers. He buried his face in the crook of Sasori's neck and affectionately nuzzled him, giving a quiet content sigh. The red head managed to give a slight frown down at him, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "No cuddling."

Deidara irksomely didn't obey his order, giving a slight yawn instead. "Rule number four, Danna. We get to cuddle if I want to, and you can't refuse; plus you've already agreed to my rules, un." The blonde put his arms around Sasori and nuzzled his neck once again.

The red head gave a sigh as he recalled the rule about cuddling, wrapping his arms around the blonde to try and make the situation less awkward. "It's eight in the morning, Bra-…Deidara…"

"There's a fucking cyclone outside and I'm still tired after you had me tied to a tree all night long in the rain." Deidara yawned and the conversation was over. Sasori sighed, lightly shaking his head before getting into a slightly more comfortable position, closing his eyes to try and also get some sleep. He quietly listened to the wind and the rain outside the room, but he soon found that he had managed to fall asleep.

-o-

…Not the best arrangement I ever made, but a rather important one none the less…At least until…_It_ happened…

…The Brat should have known better than to call me his lover; he deserved what I did to him for doing that…

You'll find out soon.


	47. Inspiration

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Seven

Inspiration

First of all, I would like to apologize for my prudence. I'm sure you are aware of the fact that I don't tell you every single little occurrence in my life, just the important points…But occasionally some insignificant moments slip in just as some vital occasions are skipped…

Most of the time I tell you everything, but I was purposely keeping this information from you because I wasn't sure of whether or not I should keep it confidential. Recently I decided that I don't really give a fuck whether you know the following events; I've already told you too much as it is, so I don't see any harm.

Besides, my cohorts and I are already dead, so nothing that you know can actually hurt us now.

It wasn't a particularly interesting series of events, so I won't bore you by showing you the scenes, I'll simply tell you what happened. Zetsu had managed to capture the vessel of the Five Tailed Dolphin-Horse known as a Jinchuriki, and Pein had summoned all ten members of the Akatsuki to seal it with the use of leader's Demonic Statue. At the time, Zetsu had had a partner, but they only lasted a year before Pein decided to try and pair the poor sucker with Kakuzu, which of course led to their death.

Anyway, we had sealed the Five Tails into the statue after three days straight, and we were able to return to our missions. But a few weeks later, Konan had managed to capture the Seven Tailed Beetle, and we were called to seal it also. Everything had been fine until the last few minutes of the Jutsu…

The Demonic Statue began to refuse to finish the sealing, and we struggled to keep the Seven Tailed Beast from getting loose and rampaging. It was exhausting for all of us.

We barely managed to trap it inside of the statue before it got free. After that we were not ordered to help seal or capture any more of the notorious tailed beasts…Well, until I was thirty-five - but we will get to that eventually.

Well, that is all you needed to know…I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused, and I shall now return to my story.

-o-

Sasori awoke a few hours later to find the blonde still sound asleep in his arms, snoring quietly as he usually did. The red head wrinkled his nose in distaste and let go of the blonde, sitting up in the bed. He looked over to the window and noticed that it was still storming outside. Sasori heard Deidara give a groan and he looked back to the sixteen year old who was currently stretching in the usual feline-like manor. "Morning Danna~"

The red head ran a hand through his hair, completely at a loss for any words. Sasori gave a slight frown and then a sigh, lying back down on the bed. "Do you need healing?"

The blonde blinked at him and sat up, giving a slight hiss of pain and then a sigh. "Eh, I'll be fine." Sasori gave a simple nod and Deidara looked over at the window for a few seconds before lying back down. "Night night, un." The blonde clearly didn't find the situation awkward in the least, unlike Sasori. Deidara pulled the covers up higher and rolled over with his back facing the red head, soon falling back to sleep.

Sasori had absolutely no idea how the blonde could fall unconscious on cue despite being a human. Sure Sasori was able to make him self slip into his comatose state at will, but that was because he was a puppet, and he had never been able to sleep that quickly when he had been a mortal. The red head sighed and got up, leaving the blonde to sleep. Sasori decided that he would pamper himself with a shower while he was still in his human form.

-x-

The red head sauntered out of the bathroom, clean, dressed and back in his puppet body. Deidara was no longer asleep and he was also fully clothed, sitting on the single seat to stare out the window at the rain. Once Sasori entered the room, however, the blonde turned to look at him, giving a wide smile. "Morning again, Danna." He then turned his attention to the messy bed, giving a smirk. "I think the hotel people are going to be mad at us." The red head raised an eyebrow at Deidara and followed the blonde's gaze, noticing why the owners would be irked off by the Akatsuki members. There were a few large stains of red blood on the white bed sheets and on the mattress, most likely having originated from the blonde. "You really gotta stop going so vicious on my ass, Danna, un."

Deidara gave a laugh and smirked, turning back to view out the window. Clearly he was only joking, as the red head knew for a fact that the blonde adored sex rough. "It's your fault, Brat…I mean Deidara…" Sasori gave a short sneer before traipsing over to Hiruko, taking a seat inside of the puppet.

"Hey Danna, can we have a serious conversation about something stupid for a few minutes?" The red head blinked at the blonde, somewhat confused by what Deidara meant. The kid was looking out the window, but Sasori could see his smirk in the reflection. After a few seconds, Deidara turned around to face the red head, his smirk widening. "Don't get the wrong idea about me asking this, but can we talk about 'Love', un?"

Sasori blinked at the blonde, taken slightly aback as he tried to recall the last time he had discussed such an odd subject… "Sure; it's not like we have anything better to do." The red head really didn't want to talk about something so stupid, but it was either that or their ordinary argument about art, and Sasori just did not feel like getting into an argument on such a rainy day.

"Okay then…" Deidara frowned in thought for a few seconds, deciding what to ask first. "Well…What do you think about love?"

Sasori gave a frown at the blonde before slowly shaking his head, "I don't really think anything about it; I never really understood what the term 'love' meant. Whatever it is, it isn't something meant for people like us."

"For 'people like us'? You talk as if we're monsters, Danna." Deidara gave a chuckle and leaned back in his seat, looking back out at the rain. "But yeah, love is dead anyway, un."

"I still don't understand what it is, but I guess that for once I agree with you completely, Deidara." Sasori was quiet for a few seconds, before he began to rummage inside one of Hiruko's pouches, finding what he was searching for.

The red head pulled out the three bracelets he had first laid eyes on so long ago. He frowned down at them and got to his feet, stepping out of Hiruko. Deidara smirked widely at him, almost putting on a seductive look. "What about me, un? Do you love me?"

"…Tell me…" Sasori gave a frown in deep thought as he ignored the blonde's stupid question, "…Tell me what 'love' is."

"…It's kind of hard to explain, un…" Deidara looked back out the window, and the red head noticed that his smirk fell. "It means something different to each person…I guess to me…Love is…" The blonde closed his eyes in what could have been concentration, and his voice lost the usual arrogant flare. "It's a muse that feeds our creative genius. You don't need it, un, but it is a great asset to have…" Deidara opened his eyes and appeared to stare at something beyond the window, beyond the storm and beyond the tangible world.

Was Deidara gazing at the same thing that the red head was searching for?

The smirk reformed on his lips and his usual tone returned, "Love is Inspiration!"

"…" Sasori frowned and tried to wrap his head around it, yet still even his vast intellectual ability was unable to comprehend something as simplistic as the stupid emotion. "That is slightly less confusing that what Yashamaru said, but still absolutely stupid. I don't 'love' you."

The blonde gave a laugh and his gaze once again focused on the falling rain. "Fair enough; I don't love you either, un." After a few seconds he returned his glance to the red head, and gave a simple hum. "You love to hate me, right?" And then his usual smirk returned. "Or maybe you just hate to love me~?"

Sasori opened his mouth, and then shut it in thought, utterly confused by the blonde's remark. "…They mean the exact same thing…So…Yes?" He raised an eyebrow at Deidara, and the kid simply stuck his tongue out at the red head. Sasori gave a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "Whatever, I'm going for a walk."

Deidara blinked at him and gave a frown, standing up from the chair. "In this weather? You're insane, un." After a few seconds, the blonde sat back down, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Yuk; I'm not going out in this weather, even with my straw-hat on. I'll be here if you need me, and I promise I won't touch Hiruko, un."

Sasori just gave a slight hum and slipped the three bracelets onto his right wrist, covering them with his Akatsuki robe's sleeve. The red head moved to the room's entrance and exited without even looking back at the blonde, closing the door behind him.

-x-

The red head traipsed down the streets, looking upwards at the cloudy sky as he did so. The cyclone had passed, but it was still raining like there was no tomorrow. People were walking with umbrellas and children were running around, playing in the falling water. Sasori traipsed through the downpour without bothering to find shelter, considering he was a puppet so he couldn't catch a cold.

The red head began to look around at the shops, most of which were closed anyway due to the bad weather. Eventually he reached a small shop which was actually open and he traipsed inside, straight to the desk.

-x-

When Sasori exited the store, he was only mildly surprised to find the blonde waiting for him under the veranda of the shop. The red head slowly blinked at Deidara and the kid simply returned the gesture before giving a shrug. "I got bored and decided to stalk you." The usual smirk formed and he gave Sasori a sharp look; "Gotta make sure you don't try to leave the Akatsuki, un."

The red head wasn't in the mood to even scoff at the blonde's irony and he simply began to traipse back towards the inn. Deidara began to walk at his side, clearly wondering what the red head's intentions had been at the store. Sasori caught on to the blonde's eagerness to learn, but all he could do was give a shrug, "I tried to sell the bracelets, but they didn't want to buy them."

Deidara was completely taken aback by the red head's remark, but he continued to walk along side him. "Why the fuck did you try to sell them, un? I thought they were like…Your most treasured possessions that belonged to your best friends - and all that jazz…"

"They are just bracelets; it was there memory that I'm attached to." Sasori gave a slight shrug and continued to casually traipse forward, lifting his wrist up to show that he still wore the three accessories. "But I realised that I don't need the damn bangles just to remember my dead friends."

Deidara abruptly stopped in his tracks, and the red head did the same, giving the blonde a confused look. The blonde was sending him an odd daggered glare, and his hands were balled into fists, shaking from anger. Rain ran down his skin and his hair, making him shimmer in the way that he seemed to do. "Sasori…I am _not _Karura."

The red head slowly blinked at the blonde, and then gave him a smirk. "You're _definitely_ not Karura; you're not even half as loyal as she was…But her kind of allegiance is something which I will never be able to find again…" Sasori's expression faded and he gave Deidara a look which was both critical and honest. "But you're far more intelligent than she ever was…You're probably twice as smart."

The blonde stared at him like a deer in headlights, his previous anger appearing to have completely vanished. He tried to form a sentence, but failed. After a few seconds, Deidara gave a disbelieving smile of utter joy which freaked Sasori out. "I think that's the first time you have ever complemented me on my intelligence, un…"

The red head sneered at the blonde and crossed his arms in denial. "It wasn't a complement; being smarter than Karura isn't a praiseworthy feat. A half-dead rodent is probably more intelligent than she was. Sure the girl was as loyal as a dog and as courageous as a wolf, but Karura's strong point was definitely not her brain." Deidara still continued to smile like a child who had just been praised, appearing to be thriving in the single complement that Sasori had bestowed upon him. He acted as if the act had been as fragile as a ceramic doll.

-x-

Thirty Three Years Old

Sasori was inside of Hiruko, lumbering down the main route towards no where in particular, the blonde travelling at his side. Their usual argument was underway. "Art is Eternal, Deidara, for if it were fleeting then it might as well never exist in the first place. Wants are easily satisfied, but something which is fleeting would just be…Well – to put it bluntly - stupid."

"Even something fleeting should be given the opportunity to exist in the first place, but only so that it can actually become fleeting, un. If everything fleeting didn't exist, then the whole idea of something being transitory would be unimaginable…In fact, if that were the case we wouldn't even be having this argument, un…" Deidara gave a shrug at the paradox, and the red head gave an annoyed sigh.

"There you go again with the absurdity. Honestly, you need to stop thinking of such useless things. Objects which are transient have no purpose aside from a brief felling of slight joy. Goods which are Eternal provide a longer source of enjoyment than those that are nondurable. A child has more fun with a doll than a flower. So-"

"Hey," Deidara cut him off, pointing out into the distant, "two figures in Akatsuki cloaks are coming this way…" Sasori raised one of Hiruko's eyebrows and focused his sight in the distance, sure enough being able to spy two Akatsuki members traipsing on the opposite direction on the pathway, towards the artists. "Man, I hope it is Itachi and Kisame! I so want to beat that fucking weasel into a bloody pulp, un! I've been training up my left eye to see through the rodent's stupid genjutsu!" Deidara scowled and proceeded to threateningly crack his knuckles, wanting revenge on Itachi for humiliating him three years prior.

"That isn't Itachi and Kisame - they are too close in height for it to be them…Meaning that it has to be Kakuzu and his latest victim…I mean partner…Wait, no; victim really does seem the more appropriate term…" Sasori gave a slight sigh, but was actually quite pleased to have an opportunity to talk to Kakuzu. It would be a nice change from the blonde's company…

Very nice indeed.

He could already hear the sounds of a voice that was definitely not Kakuzu's, screaming profanities. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU IGNORING ME? I FUCKING ASKED YOU A QUESTION, DICK!"

Kakuzu appeared to hold in his temper in front of the other Akatsuki members, settling for just ignoring the screaming male. Finally both teams met, stopping in the middle of the empty pathway. Kakuzu looked the same as ever, though this time minus his straw hat due to the weather in this area being rather placid.

Also, rather than letting his brown hair fall down - as he had worn it previously - he wore the white hood which he had worn while leaving the Snow Country, hiding his brunette locks. His eyes appeared to be rather tired and irritated, or at least more so than when Sasori had last met the intimidating man who he actually called a 'friend', or at least a comrade.

The other Shinobi the red head had never seen before. It was a male of probably twenty years of age with slicked back silver hair and a pair of harsh magenta eyes. His appearance was in no way intimidating to Sasori and he was giving a wide toothy grin, even more irksome than Deidara's usual expression. Kakuzu gave a low hum, and strangely he was the first one to talk. "Hello Sasori; long time no see - in person…Ten years was it?"

The red head nodded Hiruko's head and then gave a gesture to Deidara, somewhat sluggishly. "Hello to you too Kakuzu; this is my partner, though I'm sure you know about him from the meetings - but you haven't met him officially yet…" He shot the seventeen year old a sharp look, and practically snapped at him. "Brat; be polite."

The blonde blinked at the red head and then at Kakuzu, following Sasori's order by giving a smile and a well-mannered bow at the large male. "Good morning Kakuzu, un, I'm Deidara." He straightened up and gave the silver-haired male a questioning look. "Who are you?"

The male gave a sneer and stepped forward, even more ostentatiously than the blonde as he gave an arrogant chuckle. "The name is Hidan! How fucking old are you, bitch?" He walked in front of the blonde and began almost examining him like a teacher from one of the Shinobi academies of Sasori's childhood. "You're like…Fifteen?"

Deidara shot the puppet a dull look, silently begging to hit the idiot, but Sasori simply shook Hiruko's head. The blonde sighed slightly and returned his gaze to Hidan, giving a smirk. "Fifteen? What the fuck are you smoking, un? I'm seventeen, bitch!"

…It appeared that when in the company of one who is of a similar age group to himself, Deidara's speech reverted back to swearing…

"Oi! I fucking like your style, kid! Much better than these other tight-asses, like 'Kuzu 'ere. How about you, bitch? I mean, this bitch," he had the audacity to point at Sasori, "looks like a complete bastard, am I right?" The red head was infuriated by the idiot's arrogance and he was about to attack Hidan, but Kakuzu beat him to it.

The brunette grabbed onto the idiot by his hair and pulled him down, causing Hidan to trip backwards. He hit the ground with a groan and began to scream out profanities, which resulted in Kakuzu moving to stand on top of his partner. "I apologize, but I still haven't been able to teach him some proper manners."

"Don't worry," Sasori gestured to Deidara, "I had the same problems with this one." The blonde gave him a hurt look, and then began to both pout and mope. "Are you on a mission?" He had to talk loudly to ensure that the brunette was able to hear him over the silver-haired male's curses.

Kakuzu gave a few thoughtful seconds of thought, and then shook his head in answer. "No, we were just wandering around searching for a Shinobi who has a high bounty, but we have some time to spare." Sasori gave a nod, quite pleased to have some time to talk to a person of high intelligence and of a superior age.

It would be a relief after spending the past two years of his life hanging out with a kid half his age.


	48. Shtick, Tick and None

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Eight

Shtick, Tick and None

"Don't worry," Sasori and Kakuzu sat beneath a tree that was off of the path, over looking a field in which their underlings were also sitting in discussion, in view but out of earshot, "Deidara swore a lot when he first became my partner."

"The blonde was only…Fourteen when he joined the Akatsuki?" Sasori nodded Hiruko's head, and Kakuzu returned the gesture. "A fourteen year old is different than a twenty year old; they are still in an easily changeable state of mind. By the time they are at least eighteen, they'll stick to what they know permanently. That's probably one of the reasons Leader allowed both Deidara and Itachi to join, despite their ages. They'd be easy to mould into beings that are loyal only to the Akatsuki – better yet if they have _already_ abandoned their villages."

"Good point, but there are some issues that - no matter how hard I try - I can't get the kid to change his mind on." He sighed in irritation and looked down at where the blonde was laughing with Hidan, the two of them most likely badmouthing their partners and/or their duties as an Akatsuki member. The red head just didn't really care. "Like no matter what I do, I can't get him to understand that art is Eternal, and not fleeting."

"…Artists…" Kakuzu shook his head and pulled out a wad of cash, beginning to methodically count it in a sort of tick that the brunette possessed. "Well, at least he is more compliant than my partner is. If I had told Hidan to be polite, then he would probably just swear up a storm."

"Well Deidara has to do what I say; I made a deal with him a year or so ago and now if I give him an order he has to fulfil it…In accordance with a few rules, like I can't control his speech or his opinion…So I'm actually quite pleased that when I told him to be polite he listened to me thoroughly despite it being rather a command of speech…"

"You made a deal with him? How much money did it cost you?" Kakuzu appeared to lose count of his green notes, and he had to start to add up the total again.

"Oh, it didn't cost as much as you think it would have…" The brunette looked up at him, blinking his odd eyes in fascination, and Sasori gave a sigh. "Don't worry; it only costed me my dignity."

"…So it didn't cost any money?" The red head shook Hiruko's head and Kakuzu appeared to relax slightly, returning to his meticulous counting of the wad of opulence. "Oh, that's okay then. Dignity isn't as essential as money is. Sounds like a kind of deal I should make with my idiot of a partner…I have a feeling he will be sticking around for a while…"

Sasori raised one of Hiruko's eyebrows at the brunette, giving a confused noise. "Huh? What do you mean? You've had far better partners than this idiot in the past, so why do they die while this one stays?"

"It's complicated, but the reason that he is my partner…" They looked down the hill to where it looked like both of their underlings were currently locked in an equally interesting conversation, most likely about something absolutely stupid. "He's immortal."

Sasori shot him a sharp look, "I thought we both agreed that nothing is immortal last time we met. Eternal, sure, but immortal? Impossible." The red head had a small thought, wondering whether Kakuzu was going senile or something…He quickly dismissed the short consideration, deciding that it was not at all appropriate to be thinking about an ally.

"I did say that it was complicated." Kakuzu finished counting the wad of money, returning the bundle from wherever he had pulled it from - like some sort of magic trick. "He follows this religion that worships a god of destruction named Jashin. If Hidan sacrifices someone every now and then, he – unfortunately - will not die; no matter what wounds he gains."

"Well that is unlucky. For me I struggle trying to keep Deidara _alive_…Which reminds me; thanks for the thread that you gave me last time we met - I found a good use for it."

Kakuzu gave a nod and a short hum, "That is good to hear, what did you use it for?"

"I'll show you. DEIDARA!" The blonde quickly looked to the red head in confusion, thinking he had done something taboo for a second. "GET OVER HERE!" Deidara didn't hesitate to follow Sasori's order and he began to traipse up the hill, a confused Hidan following behind him. Eventually the duo reached their elders, and Sasori's look softened slightly. "Show Kakuzu your chest." Deidara appeared to be at a loss for words, giving the red head a look as if he were insane. However, he knew better than to deny a command from his master, and he gave a short mumble of 'Yes Danna'. The blonde undid the buttons of his Akatsuki cloak and lifted his fishnet shirt up to reveal the stitched up mouth on his chest.

Hidan gave a loud curse at the sight, clutching at the symbol which hung from his suspected rosary, albeit Kakuzu appeared to be unaffected. The blonde flushed in humiliation, clearly hating to be forced to show the fourth mouth to people outside the heat of battle or sex. "…Interesting use of the thread I gave you…" Deidara was slightly surprised by the comment, giving the brunette an odd look for a few seconds before returning his gaze to Sasori.

"Okay Deidara, you can go back to whatever you were doing." The blonde hastily pulled his shirt back down and buttoned up his clothes, completely the opposite to his usual immodest self. Sasori guessed that he didn't like acting like such a little slut in front of other Akatsuki members.

Deidara turned and stopped, standing still for a few seconds before looking at Hidan. He gave the normal smirk at the albino, and Sasori knew that his pride had returned. "Let's roll down this hill!"

…Or perhaps not…

Hidan stared at him, but then gave a sneer. "That shit is for little kids…" He was silent for a few seconds, before giving a wide Cheshire grin. "Oh what the hell, let's fucking do it! Race you to the bottom, bitch!"

They both fell to the ground on cue and began tumbling down the hill to the field where they had been talking before, laughing the entire way down…Sasori almost face-palmed. Stupid kids.

"By the way; my partner is a dumbass." Kakuzu shook his head and closed his eyes, "And there is no accounting for dumbass…ness…" He gave a cough and Sasori guessed that it was a quote that he had heard before, as it wasn't befitting to the man's usual sense of humour. "So why did you need to stitch the mouth shut? Did he talk a lot or were you just being sadistic?"

"He can use a suicidal bombing technique using the chest-mouth, and the kid almost managed to use it after a few days of being in the Akatsuki. If I wasn't such a quick thinker, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." He gave a sigh of annoyance, rolling the eyes of his puppet.

"You are probably the most intelligent member of the Akatsuki ever since Orochimaru joined. Honestly; the only one I think might be able to match you is Itachi, but he isn't quite there yet. Almost…But not yet." Kakuzu gave a shrug and pulled out another wad of currency which was even larger than what the previous bundle had been. "Credit is given when it is due." He began to painstakingly count the new clump of money, able to talk and add at the same time. "So does Deidara know your true form?"

Sasori watched the miser count for a few seconds, partly enthralled by Kakuzu's tick, wondering if he had one of his own. "Yeah, he's seen me heaps of times." Kakuzu counted money, Deidara said 'un', Hidan swore…Everyone seemed to have a habit except for the red head…Sasori didn't know whether to feel superior or lonely at being left out…It was a common problem he had with the rest of society.

He was individualistic.

"Thought so; you've been partners for three years already, right?" Sasori nodded and Kakuzu returned the gesture, continuing to count his cash. "So what's this deal that you made with him anyway?"

The red head was silent in thought, wondering whether or not he should tell the brunette about the price of The Deal…He didn't want to be honest with Kakuzu, but then again he couldn't exactly lie… "I'd rather not say."

The brunette stilled his counting to give Sasori a calculating - almost accusing - glance for a few seconds. His eyes narrowed slightly but then he returned to adding together the total amount of his tangible opulence. "You know, Sasori, there is an old saying… 'No one mourns the evil, though the evil always mourn."

Sasori raised one of Hiruko's eyebrows at Kakuzu, having never heard the statement before. "Evil? Is that really a correct term to call our kind? Sure, we seek to rule the world, but that doesn't necessarily dub us automatically as 'evil' considering our intentions are actually good…People see things only in black or white…Those who are evil to some are the heroes of others, and the heroes to some are evil to others. Everybody thinks they're right, even when they aren't. Who truly gets to say whether someone is 'good' or 'evil', or whether something is 'wrong' or 'right'? It is utterly ridiculous…"

How can someone be 'good' and how can someone else be 'bad'?

"I agree; this world is certainly different to the one which I spent my youth…" Kakuzu completed adding up the bundle of cash, but after a few still seconds he seemed to decide to recount it. "But anyway, we have to live forever Sasori; because after we die there will be no one to mourn our demise. Eventually we will fade away to nothing; not even a memory will remain of us. No one mourns the 'evil'; in fact, they would celebrate our death…And everyone believes that we are indeed evil…" Sasori nodded Hiruko's head in thought, and the brunette asked the obvious; "So…You're sleeping with him?"

"How subtle…" The red head didn't bother to act in surprise or denial; Kakuzu had known ever since Sasori had ordered the blonde to be polite and Deidara had miraculously obeyed. "It was a part of The Deal I made with him. Sex was the only thing that he wanted, and his freewill was the cost…Well, to some extent anyway. I don't have control over what he says, but if I tell him to do something he has no choice but to obey."

"Hmmm…I didn't even think you would be capable of having sex with that puppet body of yours…" Kakuzu gave a simple shrug and put his bundle of cash away to where ever he had first pulled it from. "Still, I don't think any less of you, Sasori; as I stated previously, dignity isn't as essential as money, and I guess the same goes for power being more necessary than dignity as well. Pride is disposable…Well, unless you're bottoming…You're on top, right? Because if you are the submissive one, then I _might_ think less of you after all…"

"Of course I wouldn't let him dominate me; I'm a puppet master. I am the one who is in control of my marionettes. The day I let myself be controlled like a puppet…Will be a very sad day – one that will never come."

It took too long for him to realise that he really had simply been a manipulated puppet his entire life.

Kakuzu nodded in half relief and stood up, gazing down the hill at where their underlings talked. "Hidan and I should be off if we are to find the bounty before the sun sets…" The red head nodded Hiruko's head and also made his puppet move up onto all four limbs. "…" Kakuzu looked at him slowly with a calm calculating look which was both intimidating and affectionate at the same time.

They weren't just cohorts; they were friends.

Kakuzu looked like he was about to say something of great wisdom, and the entire world surrounding them seemed to hold its breath. "…" Kakuzu simply shook his head and the world exhaled, which made his following wise words seem not as dramatic as intended. "Don't get too attached, Sasori; everyone is surprised by the fact that this kid has lasted this long…But don't get too _detached_ either, because then if you die…Who will be left to mourn for your loss?"

Sasori was silent for a few seconds before he gave a slight scoff. "I don't need anyone left to mourn for me because I will never die." Kakuzu's body language suggested that he was about to chuckle with laughter, but he didn't let the chortle escape his lips.

"Very well, Sasori, but just don't become as arrogant as the younger generations of these days." The red head wondered in the back of his head if Kakuzu was becoming senile once more, but he quickly denied the thought, mentally scolding himself for ideating something so inappropriate for a second time.

"Why don't we both agree to not become arrogant due to being around our idiotic partners?" Kakuzu gave a hum and a nod in agreement with the deal. "Okay then, now let's go before said idiots get into an argument and end up trying to kill each other."

"Good idea - come on." They both began to traipse down the hill towards the two younger males who were still chatting away as if they had known each other for years. Deidara's body language was slightly more rigid than usual, and the red head could tell that he was being cautious for some reason.

He looked over at Sasori as the older Akatsuki duo neared, giving the red head a sheepish grin. Yeah, something was definitely wrong… "Hey Danna, can I become a Jashinist?" The blonde's eye twitched slightly and Sasori knew that Deidara wanted the red head to disagree with him.

Just to keep the kid on edge, he waited for a good few seconds, pretending to ideate about the question. "Hmmm…" Sasori looked over to Hidan, who was giving a hopeful look and the same Cheshire grin which was so similar to Deidara's. He turned back to the blonde and made Hiruko shoot him a glare. "Never."

Deidara faked a sad expression, but Sasori could easily see the joyful gleam in his eyes. "Awww, fucking hell." He turned back to Hidan and gave the same sad expression, shaking his head gently in faux dismay. "Sorry man, but Danna's word is fucking final."

Hidan gave a sneer and snapped his head away, crossing his arms almost stubbornly. "Fucking fine; but you don't know what the fuck you are missing out on." He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair before moving a hand to finger the pendant he wore on his chest. It was of a circle with an upside down triangle on the inside of it.

Religion. Sunagakure had been a fairly godless place where there was no significant beliefs to do with faith. Some of the travellers who came through the village were occasionally religious and there would sometimes be the odd insane preacher, but the civilians of Sunagakure would not tolerate it for a long period of time. Chiyo had not been particularly religious, so Sasori had never been raised to follow any such faith. He had never known whether or not his parents had followed any religion, but he found he no longer even cared.

"Hidan, we have to go; I'd like to hunt down and cash in the bounty before the sun sets." Kakuzu turned to the puppet, giving him a small nod. "It was good to see you again, Sasori." He looked at Deidara, giving him a short narrow eyed look of no clear emotion, but he didn't say anything to him, soon turning his attention back to Hidan. "Let's go."

The albino gave a sneer and glared at the taller male, "Fucking heathen." He turned back to the blonde and gave a sigh, running a hand through his short grey hair. "Well, you heard the fucking bastard. Later bitch."

"Yeah, see you around, man. Don't let the bastards grind you down~" The blonde smirked widely and gave a short wave as Kakuzu turned, the older male walking off. Hidan didn't follow for a few seconds, crossing his arms in denial. The brunette stopped walking and shot the albino a sharp glare, which caused Hidan to give a sneer and finally follow him, not even bidding the blonde one short wave goodbye.

The two Akatsuki members walked off in the direction that they had been headed in before the reunion, and the artists didn't even bother to watch them go, immediately moving in the route they had been following. As soon as they were out of earshot, the blonde gave a vocal sigh of relief.

"Man, that Hidan guy talks more than I do, un! Thanks for saying that I wasn't allowed to be a Jashinist, Danna; that guy wouldn't take no for an answer. Some people are just extremely annoying. Fucking immortality; _I don't want to be fucking immortal!_" Deidara gave a shrug and sighed before he regained his composure. He gave a short laugh, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't think that that Kakuzu guy likes me that much."

"Don't take it personally; I've known him for about thirteen years my self, and the first time we had a mission together he tried to kill me over a small argument that we had about there being a difference between immortal and Eternal. Kakuzu isn't the type to expect someone to live for long without trying. He even told me that he, and the rest of the Akatsuki, are surprised that you have lasted this long."

Deidara gave a small shrug and another cheery laugh, "Don't worry; I'm surprised that I have lasted this long as well, un! But you don't have to get depressed, I'll blow myself up with my C0 technique as soon as you die and I can remove these fucking stitches from my chest mouth."

"You talk as if I will die so easily, Brat. Well you won't be committing suicide so soon because I am going to live for an Eternity. You had the chance to kill me before, and I won't be so stupid as to give you the chance again."

"Are you kidding, Danna? I've had the chance to kill you heaps of times, and you will give me many more opportunities in the near future." Deidara's smirk fell and for a moment he spoke genuinely and with complete seriousness. "You trust me too much…Sasori."

The red head felt a sharp tinge in the back of his nucleus, something akin to both pain and numbness.

He knew that what Deidara said was sadly true.

Sasori trusted the sorry excuse for an Akatsuki member far too much…Dammit. "Well in that case, I'm going to start calling you Brat again; just so you remember your place below me."


	49. A Boy Who Loves You

As White as Blood

Chapter Forty-Nine

A Boy Who Loves You

Thirty-Four Years Old

The duo had been partners for four years, and had been having sex for a total of two of said periods of time. Sasori and Deidara were both lying in the small single bed, with the blonde lying half on and half off of the red head. His head was positioned over Sasori's heart, with his left arm lazily draped over the red head's human chest. Deidara had already fallen asleep, but the thirty-four year old was not so lucky and he found him self deprived of the ability to fall unconscious.

With nothing better to do, Sasori had taken to staring up at the ceiling and slowly stroking the sleeping blonde's back, the skin still being moist with Deidara's sweat. It felt sort of nice beneath his fingertips…

Tonight the eighteen year old wasn't snoring, but he had taken to mumbling - which wasn't weird for the blonde. Sasori had been awake for over an hour now, and it was really beginning to irritate him.

Dammit; he hated waiting, so why couldn't his mind allow him to sleep already? To ease his boredom, he began paying more attention to what the blonde was saying. Mostly what he was muttering was just stupid nothings which didn't make any sense, with the odd statement which held some intelligence…Which was more than what he was usually capable of when he was conscious…

"Die…Stupid weasel…" Currently he appeared to be having a dream which involved Itachi, with the most likely scenario being a fight between the two. The blonde appeared to have this dream quite a lot, and it usually went the same way. He would always lose. "…Katsu…Sharingan?" Deidara twitched slightly and his left hand meekly closed into a weak fist. "I win…Huh…?" Sasori wondered faintly if he spoke in his sleep, either as a child or now when he slept in human form…When Deidara woke up, he would always be oblivious to the fact that he spoke in his sleep. "…Danna…" This was also a common occurrence. Through his dreams, Deidara exhibited an almost fear of Sasori leaving him. "Danna…Don't go…I'll kill Itachi, just…Don't go…un…" The red head had half a mind to wake the blonde up just to stop him from going on with the stupid dream.

Sasori was still for a few seconds, when he thought of a new idea which might help to shut the blonde up rather than just waking him. The red head stilled the motions of his fingers and brought his other hand up to comfort the blonde, moving his mouth to Deidara's ear.

"Shhh…" Okay, so Sasori wasn't really the type to actually comfort someone -especially the blonde - but sleep deprivation was enough to make him at least try. "It's alright, I'm here; I'm not going anywhere." He spoke in a hushed, almost tender, tone, trying not to wake the kid, but to ease him of his insecurities. It appeared to actually work. Deidara gave a small sigh of what sounded like relief, and he physically relaxed.

Sasori was also relieved, now knowing that he finally could get some sleep. He closed his eyes and felt Deidara slightly move, nuzzling his face against the red head's skin while still remaining unconscious, giving a small sigh.

And that was when he uttered the most disgusting thing that Sasori had ever heard in his entire life; several simple words which immediately made the red head feel sick to his small human stomach.

"_I love you, Danna."_

It was but a whisper, but it sounded like a snarl in the red head's ears.

Sasori's eyes snapped open in astonishment and he immediately shot a look at the blonde, the latter still being fast asleep. The red head's face paled significantly - which was possible since he was still in his human form - and he was absolutely horrified by Deidara's unconscious words.

He automatically overreacted.

Sasori immediately shoved and kicked the sleeping blonde away from him, only stopping once Deidara hit the floor. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" The red head stared down at the now half-awake blonde, who was currently groaning, confused as to how he had made his way onto the floor. Sasori was uncharacteristically panicking, going through emotions faster than a bolt of lightening. Horror, anger, rage, revulsion, fury, ire, _absolute disgust_!

Deidara gave a groan and sat up, rubbing his now sore head in his confusion. He blinked sleepily up at the red head with an irritated look. "Huh…?" The blonde was utterly oblivious to his own wrong doing.

Sasori sneered down at the blonde, flustered, and he stood up on the opposite side of the bed to Deidara. "YOU ARE FUCKING DISGUSTING!" He quickly pulled his pants, shoes and Akatsuki cloak back on from where they had carelessly been tossed an hour or so ago. Sasori undid his Human Jutsu, reverting back into his puppet form, grabbing a scroll from inside of Hiruko.

The red head heard the blonde get to his feet as Sasori sealed his marionette inside of the scroll, slipping it into a seal within his left sleeve. He shot Deidara a daggered glare. The immodest blonde stood with the bed sheets - which had slipped off of the bed with him - pooled at his feet, body completely bare.

Sasori found he didn't even want to _look _at his living puppet, still feeling completely sickened by his words. He was still tired from being woken up, and also confused by the red head's actions. "What are you mad about now, un?"

Sasori simply sneered at him and flicked his head to look away from the blonde, storming to the doorway. "DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING FOLLOW!" The red head practically ripped open the door and slammed it shut behind him, leaving the dim-witted kid to mope in his ignorance of the revulsion that Sasori had just experienced.

If there was one thing that the red head knew it was that he was not going to get any sleep tonight.

-x-

Sasori didn't return until the late hours of the following morning, sauntering in not entirely serene, but having built up his composure and calm enough to deal with the blonde.

Of course, when he opened the door to the inn, he was not at all surprised to find said Akatsuki member sitting up on the unmade bed, clothed and currently moulding his explosive clay meticulously into little deformed shapes. His head snapped up at the sound of the door opening, and he blinked at the red head with slight confusion.

He had been perfectly aware that Sasori would return, as Deidara still did not know the crime of which he was guilty of. "Are you PMSing or something? I thought I was supposed to be the girl, un." He said it with an ironic monotone, the question being rhetorical and the statement was not meant to be serious nor true.

Sasori's eye twitched slightly - still disliking the thought of actually looking at the sickening blonde - as he shut the door behind him. "We need to talk, Brat." The blonde raised an eyebrow at him and shoved the clay back into one of the two pouches which sat on his hips.

Deidara did not talk, waiting for the red head to shed light upon his taboo with a learnt patience.

Sasori was silent for a few seconds of thought, before he slowly made his way over to the bed, taking a seat on the end, leaving a metre of space between them both. "I'm willing to give you…The benefit of the doubt…If you just answer one question truthfully." Deidara simply blinked at him, and waited for Sasori to continue. "…You said something quite…" Disturbing, disgusting, despicable… "_'Unusual'_ in your sleep…And it got me felling quite…" Affronted, appalled, awkward… "_Upset_…So, please tell me that what you said wasn't true…"

"Ummm…Okay…? What I said wasn't true…?" Deidara blinked in confusion, still not knowing what it was he was in trouble for.

Sasori gave him a vapid look, his eye twitching slightly in annoyance. "…You don't even know, do you?"

"Not a clue, un." The blonde gave a shrug and the red head gave a half awkward sigh.

"Okay…" He had to be careful about what he asked… "I guess what I'm trying to question you about is…Well…" Sasori didn't really want to say; he was actually anxious as to what the blonde's answer would be. Hopefully Deidara would instantly deny the accusation that he was harbouring feelings for the red head, and then they could both move on with their lives…But he knew that anything with the blonde involved was not so simple… "Do you…'_Love'_ me?"

Deidara blinked at him, the air between them suddenly going both quiet and awkward. A few seconds of this tension went by, until the blonde abruptly burst out laughing. He cackled so hard that he moved onto his back, rolling on the bed sheets and clenching at his sides to stop them from ripping him in half. Sasori was overcome with relief, and he gave a sigh, almost smiling. Good; it had just been a stupid misunderstanding. Deidara soon stopped laughing and sat up, his usual grin in place. "Of course I love you, Danna."

…

Sasori could swear that he felt his puppet body go slightly colder, and his imaginary stomach seemed to grow in desire to clench and make the red head vomit the masses of nothing that lurked in the make-believe organ. "_What?_"

Deidara's grin fell and he gave a shrug, "Well, our relationship sure as shit ain't platonic, un." He gave a hum and leaned back slightly and Sasori - for the first time - noticed that the blonde's cloak wasn't actually buttoned up…Why the fuck did he notice that? "But it's not like I'm _in _love with you."

Sasori gave the blonde a disgusted sneer, shaking his head at the kid. "That doesn't make any sense, Brat! I already told you that our relationship was not to progress beyond team mates! It was one of the rules I originally gave you four years ago! And I set it again when we first made The Deal!"

"Oh please Danna, that rule has been broken ever since you first decided to fuck me." Deidara smirked at him for a few seconds, before the expression dropped into a half serious look. "But don't worry, I'm not a girl. I don't expect you to love me."

"I don't 'Love' you," Sasori glared at the blonde and looked away from him with a snap, "and I never will!" Mostly because Sasori had no idea what love was or what it felt like. The red head was quiet for a few seconds, before he turned back to him. "If you continue, I'll…I'll…"

Deidara raised an eyebrow at him, and gave a sardonic smirk. "You'll what? Break my heart? Please Danna; you can't break what I didn't have to start with, un." He gave a slight chuckle and a cat-like stretch.

"Well, I-" Sasori noticed that not only did the blonde have his cloak unbuttoned, but he also did not wear his fishnet shirt. The red head couldn't help but have a mental blank as his attention was distracted by Deidara's lithe body.

The body that had been given to Sasori.

The red head was brought back to reality by the blonde giving a chuckle. "Danna, you're distracted. Perhaps we should skip this whole stupid talk and have some more fun, un~"

Sasori blinked and shot Deidara a sharp, disgusted glare. "Forget it, Brat; The Deal is off. I'm not sleeping with you anymore."

Deidara's smirk didn't fall, if anything it grew and became far more seductive. "Oh really?" He gave a short chuckle and crawled forward to the red head, having the nerve to move a hand up to Sasori's cheek. "We had sex just last night, and you are already craving my body, un."

The red head had long since lost the instinct to stab, attack and/or murder the blonde due to being touched by him, so Sasori simply managed a glare. "Don't you dare try to change the topic…"

It was true. Sure his body was that of a puppet so he couldn't get excited - so to speak - but he could still feel the emotion of lust bubbling up in his mind as memories of pleasuring the blonde entered his head. Deidara's body - the body that Sasori owned - erratic with pleasure and an unmitigated desire for more.

Deidara - having been able to get away with the small touch - decided to take his actions even further. He boldly crawled close to the red head and adjusted himself to sit in Sasori's lap, wrapping his legs around the puppet's waist. "Come on, Danna; we can continue this stupid conversation later, but first…" The blonde moved his Akatsuki cloak slightly to reveal more of his skin and Sasori felt himself unable to resist the flesh.

He made several hand signs and felt his body shift back into human form. He immediately moved his hands to Deidara's shoulders, sliding the Akatsuki cloak off of the blonde as he began to attack the irresistible eighteen year old's neck with his mouth.

-x-

Deidara was lying - quite smugly - on the red head's chest, drawing small shapes using his finger on Sasori's skin. There was a conceited smirk on his lips as he most likely thought about the idea of having the red head wrapped around his little finger.

Sasori, on the other hand, was feeling quite miserable.

He was disgusted and annoyed with himself for falling for the blonde's seduction. It was so fucking stupid. "I guess this means that The Deal is still on, un~" Sasori sneered and pushed the blonde off of him, rolling over so that his back faced Deidara. "Don't get mad, Danna, there isn't any reason to get upset."

"SHUT UP!" Sasori just wanted to beat the fucking blonde to a bloody pulp to try and drill some commonsense into him. "I FUCKING HATE YOU!" The red head pulled the bed sheets over his head.

Deidara gave a sigh and sat up, collapsing back down on the bed after he gave a hiss of pain. "Man, you did a number on my ass." Sasori simply ignored the stupid blonde, still moping in frustration. Deidara was silent for a few seconds, before giving a bored sigh. "Look Danna, there is no reason to feel sorry for yourself. This doesn't make anything different between us just because you know."

Sasori rolled over in the bed harshly, propping himself up on an elbow to glare dangerously at the infuriating blonde. "THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING! JUST SEX WAS BARELY ACCEPTABLE! I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP WITH YOU NOW THAT I KNOW YOU FUCKING _LOVE_ ME!"

Deidara looked into Sasori's harsh brown eyes, and Sasori stared back into Deidara's forget-me-not orbs, his blonde hair hanging so that it did not obscure the view.

"Listen to me for a minute, will you, un?" The red head scrunched his nose in irritation, but allowed Deidara to explain himself, hoping that the blonde's reasons were at least rational. "Thank you, now…Yes, I love you, but it is more complicated than that. I love certain aspects of you, un…I mean, I certainly am not in love with your _charming _personality." Sasori's eyes narrowed at the sarcasm, and Deidara continued. "The thing is, I don't know why I love you and I can't even tell if it is you I love or the sex, un."

"If it were just sex, then it wouldn't be so disgusting." Sasori's look softened and he gave a short sigh. "I still don't understand what that stupid emotion is; all I know is that if you feel it towards me, it is bad. Now hate; at least that emotion I can understand. I hate you."

"I agree with that." Deidara grinned widely at the red head and he moved an inch closer. "Because I also hate you…" The blonde frowned in a thoughtful look, and then gave a shrug. "And I love you too…So it might not be the same case for me after all…"

Sasori gave the blonde a short half-hearted glare, before he gave a hopeless sigh. "You know what? Fine, I just don't care. You can 'love' me if you want, but don't expect me to gain any feeling for you aside from hatred."

Deidara smirked at him widely, and gave a short laugh. "Don't worry _Darling_, I don't expect you to. Besides, if you loved me then that would be awkward, un."

"How do you think _I_ feel?" Sasori gave a sigh as his anger ebbed away, leaving him feeling empty. "And don't you dare call me 'Darling', or else The Deal is off permanently."

Well, Darling was better than calling them lovers…

"Fine." Deidara shrugged and Sasori stood from the bed, beginning to hunt down his clothes. The blonde sat up, giving a slight groan of pain. "Fuck, do we really have to go? My ass still hurts from your angry sex."

"Quit complaining; it was your fault that I needed to vent. It's still the morning and we are not spending any more time in private. I've had enough alone time with you that I can handle for an extended period of time. Now get dressed and let's go."

Deidara gave a sigh and got up off of the bed, stretching his arms sightly as he began to search for his clothes.

-o-

…Yeah…I don't feel that I overreacted to the kid's confession…

Okay, maybe a tiny bit, but who wouldn't overreact to your underling - who you have been having sex with for two years - has fallen in _love_ with you. It was quite a disturbing experience, but mostly because it made me realise that the blonde had officially broken all of my original rules.

I then had to understand the fact that Deidara and I were no longer just team mates in the organization known as the Akatsuki…

We were lovers…Even though, later on, when he once called us 'lovers', I completely overreacted and I…I…

You must realise that I was appalled by the idea that Deidara actually had feelings for me…Well, aside from our mutual hatred of one another…And also that the blonde gained a certain control over my body by using his own as bait.

Fucking Brat…But then again it was true what he had said…Our relationship was anything but platonic…In fact, I should have been expecting the blonde to gain some sort of affection…Well, then again he never did try to force me to fall in love with him…Even though…Eventually…

Nothing…It's nothing… I already regret telling you…Just…Just forget that this whole scenario even occurred…

The only thing worse than a boy who hates you is a boy who loves you.


	50. Orange

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty

Orange

Sasori and Deidara were traipsing down the path, the puppet inside of Hiruko with the blonde talking non-stop and the red head ignoring the eighteen year old. Deidara continued the one-sided conversation none the less. Sasori wondered whether the blonde even knew that the red head wasn't listening to his stupid ramblings.

Deidara was sadly smart enough to most likely know this, and yet he was still going on like there was no tomorrow…Or at least he was until some random idiot leapt out of the bushes in front of them.

Sasori and Deidara both cautiously stopped and they watched with little interest when the stranger tripped and slammed face first into the pathway. "…Ouch…" Sasori and Deidara both rolled their eyes simultaneously and walked around the idiot, continuing forward as if it had never happened, though the blonde stopped talking. "HEY!" They both didn't bother turning back – it would just encourage the idiot - but it seemed quite futile when the male appeared right in front of them, arms waving in a blur. "YOU'RE AKATSUKI MEMBERS! THAT'S SO COOL! I HAVEN'T MET YOU GUYS YET!"

Sasori and Deidara both stared at the nuisance, feeling the instinctive urge to kill the obnoxious fool. This recommended advice immediately disappeared when the figure of Zetsu appeared at the stranger's side, giving an irritated sigh. "**Tobi, don't bother other Akatsuki members, or else they might try to kill you.**" His other side gave a laugh, "Don't worry; Tobi is a good boy." Both Sasori and Deidara turned hostile eyes towards the idiot, a trained reaction that had been drilled into their minds from a young age. "…Not 'good' good, but…Well, our kind of good."

At the explanation, their looks softened as the slight threat was instantly disarmed.

Sasori finally decided to take the effort to actually take in the features of the boy…Well…Lack of features was more like it. His face was covered by a bright orange mask which was swirled inwards at the one hole that was for his right eye. This appeared to be his only capable view point of the world beyond the mask as it also covered his left eye, along with the rest of his countenance.

He had short black hair and wore no Akatsuki cloak; instead he wore a shirt which was similar in appearance to a jumper with several odd plates nailed onto the biceps of the material, and around his neck was an unusual green scarf. Over all Sasori decided that he looked absolutely stupid. "And you made fun of my 'mouse' all those years ago; just look at yours."

Zetsu gave a grin as he caught onto the irony of Sasori's words, most likely remembering when the puppet had had his own 'mouse' by the name of Kabuto about four years ago. Both Deidara and Tobi were silent in confusion, obviously not understanding the inside joke. It was before their time, after all. "Yeah, but I won't apologize. **Tobi, introduce yourself**."

"Okay, Mr Zetsu!" The boy cleared his throat and stopped bouncing from foot to foot. "My name is Tobi, duh! Who are you lot?"

"I'm Sasori of the Red Sand," the puppet decided to introduce them before the blonde could speak, "and this is Deidara." There was something about this Tobi kid that Sasori just did not trust, but he couldn't figure out any suitable reason for his insecurities.

He guessed that it had something to do with the fact that he wore a mask; it was something that Sasori had never really been desensitised to – he preferred the ability to gaze upon someone's face – despite the hypocrisy of himself being inside of Hiruko. The red head couldn't work out Tobi's age, but judging by his immaturity and height Sasori guessed that he was somewhere between the age of eighteen and thirty, but he still couldn't be positive.

"OH! TOBI KNOWS YOU TWO; MR ZETSU HAS TOLD ME ALL ABOUT YOU!" He waved his hands in an energetic fashion and actually began to do an odd, stupid dance on the spot, spinning around several times. Sasori gave Zetsu an 'are-you-serious' look using Hiruko's harsh countenance, but the plant either didn't notice or ignored it on purpose. "YOU'RE ARTISTS! Sasori of the Red Sand uses people puppets, and Deidara uses exploding clay! Eternal and Fleeting!" He clapped his hands, and then stilled, moving oddly close to the blonde.

Deidara took a cautious step back, not liking the idiot being in his personal space, but it didn't deter Tobi. The masked male moved so close to the blonde that even Sasori couldn't help but be ireful at how near Tobi was to the red head's property.

Deidara's body belonged to him! How dare the idiot get so close!

Tobi stopped moving closer, seeming to be satisfied with his current proximity, giving a slight half-seductive laugh. "But Mr Zetsu never ever mentioned just how beautiful Deidara Sempai really is~ You're a very pretty girl~"

The entire forest appeared to go silent at the comment in anticipation for the blonde's ireful wrath.

Sasori's anger at the idiot for getting so close to his property instantly disappeared and was replaced with almost-sympathy - but not completely. He looked at Deidara and waited for him to irrefutably freak out. A dark shadow consumed the upper-half of his face and the red head was extremely amused when he saw Tobi knowingly tense as Deidara spoke in his definitely non-female voice.

"I'll…FUCKING _KILL YOU_!" In a few seconds the blonde had pulled a piece of clay from one of his pouches, and he made a quick sculpture out of it. Tobi instantly turned and began to run for his life, a cloud of dust following comically behind him. Deidara – nonetheless - threw the new small clay bird at Tobi, the sculpture coming to life and rapidly zooming after the idiot. The blonde made a half-ram seal and gave a sadistic grin, "KATSU!"

There was an explosion and a loud cry as Tobi went shooting through the air to some unknown location. Deidara gave a conceited humph and turned his nose up, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"…" Zetsu turned and looked down the pathway that Tobi had been running down, giving a slight sigh. "Well, so much for catching up. **We have to go hunt him down to make sure he doesn't end up getting lost.**" He turned back to Sasori and Deidara, giving a shrug and another sigh. "**Goodbye, I have no mission requests for you anyway. **See ya later." The plant-man abruptly sunk into the ground, leaving Sasori and Deidara to themselves.

"You have serious anger issues, Brat…" Sasori decided to poke at Deidara's ego further, "In fact, you PMS _more_ than a girl."

The blonde blinked and looked at the puppet, tilting his head slightly before he gave a smirk. "I'm a girl only when sex is involved; any other time and I don't think you want to even try confusing my gender, un~" There was a murderous intent behind his smirk, and Sasori wasn't surprised by his following warning. "Try to make the connection again, and you won't end up lasting for an eternity~"

The red head knew that the blonde had full intentions of fulfilling the threat, and even though Sasori also knew that Deidara couldn't kill him, it really wasn't worth it. "You definitely know how to make a grand first impression, Brat."

The blonde smirked at Sasori and unfolded his arms, "Man, do you reckon that that idiot could become an Akatsuki member?"

"Sure, if Leader was desperate enough he would make anyone with even mediocre skills join. Just don't go committing suicide, Brat, or else Leader will probably stick the idiot with me. I really don't want to have to put up with that type of stupidity in this organisation."

"Awww," Deidara gave him a look which was revealing sarcastic honour, "you would rather have little ol' me as your partner? I'm touched, un." He gave a snort and straightened up, flipping the bird randomly in the direction that the idiot had flown off in. "Bitch."

"Language Brat; for all you know that idiot might end up as your partner." Deidara shot Sasori a torpid look for a few seconds before he burst out laughing, falling backwards onto his butt as he clenched at his ribs to keep them from splitting.

"OH PLEASE, DANNA!" He continued to laugh and Sasori simply rolled his eyes, "For that to happen, you would have to actually die first, and like fuck I'm going to live longer than you!" Deidara gave a sigh, one last chuckle, and then regained his composure once more, getting to his feet. "As if, un."

"…For once you're right Brat; forget I said it." Sasori began to lurch Hiruko forward again, but stopped after a few metres when he realised that Deidara wasn't following behind. "Hurry up."

The blonde obeyed the order, catching up to the red head and walking at his side, but he was still dazed off in thought. Sasori had known the blonde for four years, so he was perfectly familiar with Deidara's current body actions. He wanted to ask the puppet something and depending on how hesitant the blonde was, it must have been something unusually serious. Eventually he gained the guts to ask his question. "Do you ever think about leaving the Akatsuki, Danna?"

Ah; so that was why Deidara had been so hesitant.

Despite their closeness, the blonde was fully aware of the fact that Sasori could tell Pein whether Deidara was turning traitorous. Things were different than to when the blonde had first joined; he was expected to be perfectly loyal by this point in time, and if it was proven that this wasn't so, Deidara would be considered a failure. "You aren't lapsing back into your 'Escape Artist' phase again, are you? I was barely able to bear it the first time."

"This isn't about me, un. I was asking you." Deidara's voice was low, but not hushed. He wasn't at all worried by the idea of anyone overhearing the conversation, despite the fact that both Zetsu and Tobi were still most likely in a close proximity. "Have you ever thought about leaving the Akatsuki?"

Sasori was silent as he thought about the blonde's question. Surprisingly, within his fourteen years of being an Akatsuki member, not once had he ever thought about leaving…

In fact, how the hell was being in the organisation any different than being in Sunagakure?

Restrictions, missions, idiots, ranks, training, strength, power, leaders, cohorts, being lost, ridiculed, being forlorn, feeling alone, having no privacy, losing friends…An annoying blonde? The only difference was that by being in the Akatsuki there was a higher chance of travelling around the world. He held no loyalty towards a nation; he was a wanderer.

Well, he got to travel more, plus he was searching for that _something_…Those were the two main differences.

But was it really a worthwhile life to live?

Sasori was a wanted criminal in most - if not all - of the various countries. S Ranked, Sasori of the Red Sand. His entire history and his old identity had been swallowed by the rank and the title; he was now something that many others considered as being 'Evil'.

They had to call him an 'it' in order to disassociate him from once being a human, from once being what one considered 'Good'. It was always easier to kill an 'it' than to kill a 'him' or a 'her'.

He had wanted to leave Sunagakure, so why didn't he want to leave the Akatsuki? "Danna, you there?"

"Walk ten metres behind me." The blonde blinked, and then mumbled darkly as he obeyed the red head's order, stopping and waiting for Sasori to gain ten metres of distance between them before Deidara once again started to walk, keeping the space empty. Even the blonde was smart enough to not risk shouting at the red head over the expanse.

The conversation was over…For now.

-x-

Sasori was busy with his hobby, that being remodelling his puppet collection, while Deidara was occupied with moulding sculptures. But the blonde was not going to let the red head escape his earlier question. "So have you ever thought about leaving the Akatsuki, un? I bet you have, and that is why you aren't answering me."

The red head instinctively shot Hiruko's puppet tail at the blonde, not even having to look around to know that Deidara had managed to dodge the attack with less thought needed than it took for Sasori to fling the tail. "I left Sunagakure because I had nothing left to gain from being there. The Third Kazekage refused to let me ascend to ANBU, and I had no intention of becoming the next leader of the village. Life there became too mundane for even my taste."

"…What's the difference with the Akatsuki, un? I mean, there is no where to go but down. You are already my master, and I don't think even you have what it takes to be the Leader of this organisation." Sasori simply gave a shrug and Deidara hummed in thought. "And you've been in the Akatsuki for…Fourteen years?" The red head didn't even need to nod; it was sad to say but the blonde knew him better than anyone else did, and despite only knowing each other for four years, Deidara knew Sasori better than anyone else ever _had_. "And you were in Sunagakure for fifteen years, un?"

"Why the hell are you asking me so many questions?" Sasori shot the blonde an annoyed look for a few seconds before returning to his puppet collection.

"You were in Sunagakure for fifteen years…And then you left…You joined the Akatsuki after five years and then for the next five years Orochimaru was your partner…And then he left…And then five years after that, you were paired with me, un…"

"I had a partner in between you and Orochimaru for a year, don't forget." Sasori shook his head slightly and continued to work, "What is your point?"

"Well, you were in Sunagakure for fifteen years and Orochimaru's partner for five years…And next year will be both your fifteenth year in the Akatsuki and our fifth year together as partners, un…I'm not really superstitious, but isn't that a bit weird?"

Sasori was smart enough to realise what the blonde was alluding to.

Deidara was saying that next year, when the red head was thirty-five and the kid was nineteen, Sasori was going to leave the Akatsuki, one way or another. The puppet was completely motionless with thought as he calculated and realised that what the blonde said was actually intelligent.

Sasori didn't believe in superstitions, but it was still something quite odd to him. When in Sunagakure, he hadn't thoroughly planned to leave the village prior to his decision, and it had been quite spontaneous. The Akatsuki was exactly like Sunagakure, so would it turn out the same…?

"The words 'Malevolent' and 'Benevolent' are extremely similar…Are they not?" The red head was currently staring off into the distance at something beyond everything, his hands stilling and stopping in their usually automatic work.

He could see it in that moment; that thing that he was searching for…But in another moment it was missing.

"…And yet they both have opposite meanings…Vicious and kind…" The red head looked downwards silently for a few seconds, before he placed his tools down on the ground and got to his feet. Sasori turned and shot the blonde a look which caused Deidara to jump slightly.

He was fully aware as to what the expression meant before the red head even had to make the familiar hand signs which commenced his Human Jutsu.

"Really, un?" The red head answered him by unbuttoning his own Akatsuki cloak and letting it slip from his shoulders to pool at his feet. It was quite rare for Sasori to be the one who wanted to have sex, but he found that ravishing the blonde's body was one of the only two things which were capable of taking his mind off something, and since the only other one was converting someone into a puppet, that just left sleeping with the blonde to help relieve his stress. Deidara quickly shoved his clay and pouches off of the bed and began to hastily pull his own clothes off. By the time Sasori had taken his shoes off and had moved over to the bed, the blonde had managed to get down to just wearing his black briefs. "Hey, Danna-"

"Shut up." Sasori was no longer in a talking mood, and he just wanted to ravish Deidara's body in order to get rid of his mild unsureness. He shoved the blonde down on the single bed and immediately moved his lips to his neck, beginning to mechanically kiss and nip the skin that he found there.

There were faint markings still on his neck from when they had last had sex, but they could not be seen at a distance. Sasori began to thoughtlessly kiss his way down the blonde's chest, inching impatiently towards his goal, but he was irritatingly stopped by Deidara just before he reached the hem of his briefs. The red head shot the blonde an extremely annoyed expression, half glaring at him with a tremendous amount of bitterness.

"Sorry, but…" Deidara frowned slightly, as if deciding whether or not he wanted to say his following words…After what felt like hours to the red head - but in reality was only several seconds - the blonde decided to ask anyway. "Can we try something different, un…?"

Sasori's eyes narrowed and he continued to give Deidara the dark look which seemed to pulse with death and doom.

The blonde had absolutely no say in sex; Sasori was only interested in his body, not his suggestions. Deidara expanded on his question before the red head had a chance to deny his opinion. "We always do it rough, and it's not like I don't love sex that way, but I've always wondered what it would be like if you were gentle for once."

Deidara knew full well that Sasori did not like listening to his stupid chatter about how the red head _should_ be fucking him. Sasori was always the dominant one; always…Nonetheless, the red head took a few moments to consider the request. He had never gone gentle on the blonde before, and he wasn't really sure if he had enough self-control to refrain from fucking him senseless…

But if Sasori did indeed go gentle on Deidara's body, then it would probably end up lasting longer than it usually would, meaning the red head would be distracted from his thoughts for a longer period of time than if he did go at his usual pace on the blonde…"Fine."

**(A/N- Lack of Reviews makes me depressed)**


	51. Sasori's Burden Part Two

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-One

Sasori's Burden Part Two

Sasori began to kiss his way down Deidara's body, slower and longer than he had intended previously, deciding that as long as he was going gentler on the blonde's body, he might as well set the tone for the night. The red head eventually reached the hem of the blonde's briefs and he slowly began to slide the material off of his body, continuing to kiss the soft skin as he went ever lower.

Sasori grew somewhat impatient and simply decided to pull the briefs off completely, ditching them caustically, not even bothering to take note of where they landed. Deidara had a knack for finding his clothes the morning after, so Sasori had long since lost the urge to memorise where every single article of clothing ended up.

Sasori finally reached his destination and he lightly nuzzled the base of the blonde's length, letting the curly hairs brush against his skin. After sleeping with Deidara so frequently he had lost all disgust and modesty to do with the blonde's body. Deidara's body was under Sasori's possession. He had no reason to care about touching the blonde's private parts, because every single inch of Deidara belonged to him already.

Sasori didn't hassle himself with pleasuring the blonde at this stage; he wasn't particularly fond of sucking Deidara off anyway. The red head moved him self away from the already half-hardened length, giving the eighteen year old a kiss on his lips. As he did so, Sasori moved his fingers to the mouth on Deidara's left hand, slipping the digits inside of the orifice.

There were benefits when it came to having sex with someone who had a total of four mouths, though Sasori wasn't particularly fond of the idea of trying anything too perverted. He was anything but a sexual deviant.

He was an artist.

Deidara's hand mouth began to suck on his fingers, while Sasori continued to busy the blonde's facial orifice with his tongue. Deidara moaned lightly into the red head's mouth, and the tongue of his hand mouth swirled around Sasori's digits. The older male decided that he had waited patiently long enough, and he removed his fingers from Deidara's hand mouth, slipping them down to the blonde's entrance. They had had sex enough times for Sasori to be able to enter all three fingers inside of Deidara without causing him too much pain. The red head pushed his three digits into the blonde's heat, moving them in as far as possible, resulting in Deidara slightly arching his body.

He gave a subtle whine in the back of his throat, barely audible despite Sasori's sharp hearing abilities. Instantly the red head moved his fingers to the bundle of nerves that caused the blonde so much pleasure, having long since memorised the location of the prostate gland. He wasn't in the mood for foreplay, and neither was Deidara apparently.

The blonde moaned into his mouth when Sasori ran his fingers over his sweet spot, arching his body up against the red head. Sasori pulled his digits from Deidara's heat, and he pulled his own pants off to reveal his throbbing arousal. He didn't know, nor did he care, about how the blonde managed to get him so hard, despite the fact that the red head was asexual.

Yeah; he definitely was Deisexual by this point in time.

Sasori adjusted himself so that his arousal was positioned at the blonde's entrance, and Deidara automatically wrapped his legs around his waist. The red head pushed himself inside of the blonde with less force than usual. In a few seconds he was fully sheathed inside of his heat, and he decided to wait for the blonde to adjust. The step wasn't usually required by this point in their sex-life, but considering Deidara's wish for Sasori to be gentle, he felt that it was necessary.

After barely a few seconds the blonde shot him a pleading look, which was the signal for the red head to move. Sasori didn't bother to wait any longer as he pulled mostly out of the eighteen year old's body, and he was about to begin his usual pace of pounding into Deidara when he remembered the whole 'going gentle' agreement. Sasori scowled slightly, regretting now that he had gone along with the suggestion.

Oh well, it's not like it was going to be their last time having sex; he would just have to fuck him senseless some other time…

Even though that wouldn't happen after all…

Sasori immediately aimed for the known location of Deidara's prostate and he gave a controlled thrust forward. The red head listened carefully to the moan which escaped Deidara's lips, recalling how much he enjoyed the sound. Sasori gave another thrust forward, managing to control himself enough to keep his pace at a speed which Deidara would consider 'gentle'.

One benefit of this agreement was that the red head was able to focus on the blonde's reactions to his pleasurable motions. Every time Sasori gave a thrust inside of his body, he would give a pleased moan and arch his chest against the red head, lolling his head back into the pillow.

Deidara had long since repositioned his hands from clutching at the bed sheets to one clasping at Sasori's back with the other resting on the back of the older male's neck. His attention was brought then to the blonde's face, becoming interested in watching the finely crafted elegance of Deidara's countenance.

A light blush dusted his cheeks and his large forget-me-not eyes were scrunched shut, and he was desperately panting. As Sasori once again hit his prostate, he cried out in pleasure, parting his lips to allow the noise to escape his throat. The red head gave a frown, but his look soon softened as he leaned down and caught Deidara's lips in a kiss just to distract him self from mentally referring to the blonde as 'beautiful'.

The blonde's eyes opened slightly, mildly surprised by the action as he looked up into Sasori's own light brown orbs. After the red head gave another thrust, Deidara shut his eyes and moaned into Sasori's mouth, arching his chest slightly. The older male in turn also shut his muddy orbs, sliding his tongue into the blonde's mouth. Sasori continued to thrust his hips forward and backwards at an acceptable pace while ravishing the blonde's mouth with his tongue, but the red head also let his hands begin to explore Deidara's body. The blonde caught on and rather than just grasping his hands at Sasori's back, his hand mouths began to roam around the red head's body, lapping at his skin.

Sasori unknowingly continued to make love to his young lover.

Deidara gave a strident moan and stopped his roaming hands to allow one to clutch in Sasori's red locks. "Danna~ Faster~" The older male knew that that meant that the blonde was sick of the red head going so gentle on him, and Sasori couldn't help but be relieved by Deidara's wish.

He was already starting to struggle to continue such a slow pace, and the red head immediately began to pound in and out of Deidara's lithe body. Both could agree that the normal pace was much better. Sex between the two was not supposed to be chaste.

Sasori wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and he began to thrust even harder, quite desperate to reach his climax. His hand slipped to Deidara's leaking organ and he began to pump the blonde in time with his thrusts, tightening his grip on his length. Deidara moaned loudly and moved his hips in time with Sasori's movements, also desperate to reach his climax. The red head went even faster, propelled by desire and need.

Deidara cried out as he released over their chests, and the blonde began to jerk as Sasori continued to violently take him. The eighteen year old's muscles clenched around the red head's length and he finally came inside of the blonde's body, giving a harsh sigh of relief. Sasori collapsed on top of Deidara, exhausted as per usual.

They lay - struggling to catch their breaths - for several minutes, before Sasori finally pulled his softened length out of the blonde, rolling onto his back. Deidara gave a groggy sigh and moved to lie on top of Sasori with his head resting above the older male's heartbeat. The red head didn't find the position that comfortable, and he put his arms around the blonde, pulling him up until Deidara's head instead rested in the crook of his neck.

The eighteen year old gave a yawn and fished around for the blanket, pulling it up over them and then nuzzling his nose against Sasori's neck. "I'm impressed, Danna; I genuinely thought that you would lose control and start pounding into me after a few seconds, but instead I was the one who gave in first, un. You're such a 'Power Top'~"

Sasori gave a slight nod and nuzzled the top of Deidara's head slightly, trying to take in the scent of the younger male despite his low smelling capabilities. He managed to gain a hint of Deidara's odour, noticing that the blonde smelt of hotel shampoo, sex and scandal. "I have twice the amount of self-control that you possess, Brat; was it really so surprising that you were the first to lose?"

Deidara gave a slight chuckle and Sasori felt him shrug automatically, despite the lack of need. "You're right, Danna; how foolish of me…" They lay in silence for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes. The lack of sound wasn't due to any awkwardness, but rather a silent acceptance.

This was their life together.

However, both knew for a fact that once life became stable – once life became bearable – reality would always find a way to crush that peace…

After a while, the blonde broke the silence with a small statement which he had needed to say for a long time. "Thank you, Danna."

Sasori raised an eyebrow in confusion and he managed to tilt his head slightly to gaze questionably at the young blonde. "Thank you for what?"

Deidara slowly blinked his eyes but he didn't try to make eye contact with the red head, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "Remember four years ago, I almost blew myself up? When I was only in the Akatsuki for a few days…" Sasori gave a hum of recognition, easily remembering the scene in his mind's eye. "…Thank you for stopping me…I mean, if you hadn't had stopped me, then I would be dead right now and I wouldn't have gotten to know you, un…We wouldn't be where we are right now."

"You're right," Sasori moved his eyes to look upwards at the plain ceiling, "I should have let you blow yourself up."

Deidara gave a slight chuckle and nuzzled against the red head's neck affectionately. "Even if I didn't have this seal on my chest mouth, I still wouldn't blow myself up while you're still around, un. Just don't go dying, or leaving the Akatsuki like the number coincidences say you will."

Sasori blanched as Deidara reminded him of the thought that he had slept with the blonde in order to forget. Oh fuck; so much for using the blonde as a distraction. "I won't die, or leave, or anything next year. I don't believe in stupid superstitions, and neither should you, _Brat_."

Plus, Sasori had Karura's wolf bracelet now; he had the trait of loyalty.

"Meh, I'm not a very superstitious person, really, I just like messing with your head, un." Deidara gave a shrug and a yawn, moving into a slightly more comfortable position, both of them deeming the conversation a lost cause.

-o-

…That was the second last time that we ever had sex…I know what you are thinking, I didn't die until I was thirty-five, so why was this time the second last? Well…I'm not exactly proud of the reason…

I've been alluding towards this event from the very beginning, and at last you will finally see; one of the largest regrets of my life.

-o-

The duo were pacing forward, Hiruko's profile set straight ahead, while the blonde was too preoccupied looking at the scene surrounding them. "I haven't seen flowers this beautiful in years, un!" They were currently walking along a pathway which was surrounded on both sides by flowering cherry blossom trees, with a snow topped mountain in the distance, compelling quite an elegant scene. Petals were falling here and there, landing on the ground, on Hiruko's rough features, and even several stray flowers landing in Deidara's blonde hair.

"These will only bloom for two weeks," Sasori shrugged Hiruko's shoulders, looking upwards at the pink petals for several seconds before returning his vision to the mountain in the distance, "you're lucky I decided to take this route."

Deidara didn't hear the second part of the red head's statement, holding his hand out to capture several petals on his open palm. The mouth opened and lapped up several of the flowers, chewing them for a few moments before quickly spitting out the strong tasting bitterness, causing Deidara to give a wide grin. "So transitory…So fleeting…So artistic!"

The red head suppressed a sigh, although he couldn't resist rolling Hiruko's eyes in annoyance at the blonde's cliché statement. "Of _course _you would say something like that; you know I can say perfunctory statements like that as well…You see the mountain in the distance?" Deidara gave a slight nod, and the red head continued, "Mountains represent Eternity; therefore I dub that mountain artistic."

"…" Deidara burst out laughing, much to Sasori's confusion, "YOU SERIOUSLY NEED A HOBBY, DANNA, UN!" The blonde continued to be preoccupied with mirth, not noticing the extended cherry blossom tree root until he tripped over it, slamming face first onto the ground.

It was Sasori's turn to chuckle, having to stop Hiruko just to view the heart-warming sight of the blonde in pain due to his own idiocy.

Deidara gave a groan, sitting up with a petal stuck to the side of his red face, flushed with both annoyance and embarrassment. "Shut up, un! You're supposed to be my **lover**! You can't laugh at my pain!"

…_That_ was the moment that reality decided to destroy their peace.

Sasori hadn't been laughing enough to not hear what the blonde had said to him, and the red head immediately stopped his mirth.

He instantly lashed out at the blonde - who was still sitting on the dirty pathway - and Deidara managed to miss the first swing of Hiruko's tail…But not the puppet strings which Sasori attached to him.

With the blonde's motions now stilled, the red head had no hassle in slamming Deidara up against one of the cherry tree trunks using Hiruko's tail.

The eighteen year old hissed in pain, giving Sasori a glare but he was shocked when the hatch of the puppet suddenly opened. The red head stormed out of Hiruko and up to the blonde, immediately wrapping his right hand around Deidara's neck - his left keeping the puppet's tail in place with strings.

The blonde cringed at the feeling of Sasori's tight grip on his throat, fully aware that the red head had no qualms with crushing his windpipe.

He was giving Deidara a look so dangerous that the blonde found that he couldn't even think of anything to say, let alone do. Sasori's grip terrifyingly tightened, cutting off half of Deidara's air supply, forcing the blonde to have to harshly gasp in order to breathe enough oxygen to keep him self conscious.

"DON'T YOU **EVER** CALL US THAT _AGAIN_! WE ARE NOT FUCKING **LOVERS**! I DON'T LOVE YOU, I FUCKING _**HATE **_YOU! I MIGHT FUCK YOU EVERY NOW AND THEN JUST BECAUSE OF THE FUCKING DEAL WE MADE, BUT WE ARE NOT _**LOVERS**_! NEVER CALL US THAT **AGAIN** OR I WILL _**KILL**_ YOU!" His grip tightened in emphasis, no doubt leaving angry bruises over the love bites that he had given the blonde just the night before. Deidara could barely manage to nod; face cringed in agony, still having to gasp just to keep up his breathing.

Sasori gave a scoff and let go of the blonde's throat, not fully prepared for the fist that came flying at his face.

The red head stumbled back by the force of the blow, but of course he could not feel the pain due to his body being that of a puppet. He moved his neck joint back into place, dangerously eyeing the blonde who had punched him.

Deidara was panting hard, his one free arm now clutching at the bruises on his neck, unshed tears of frustration burning in his eyes. "I WAS FUCKING JOKING, YOU FUCKING **BASTARD**! LIKE FUCK I WOULD WANT TO BE THE FUCKING LOVER OF SOME FUCKING BASTARD LIKE _**YOU**_, UN! FUCK!"

The red head did what he did on an impulse of utter anger.

He turned to his puppet Hiruko, using his free hand to guide chakra strings inside of the puppet, opening his medical pouch and drawing out a small vile, pulling it into his hand. Sasori opened it using his teeth and pulled out one of the small needles that had been kept inside of the container, carelessly dropping the vile onto the ground afterwards.

He turned back to the blonde, and Deidara was fully aware of what the red head planned to do.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" The blonde struggled against Hiruko's tail, moving his free hand to try and push the obscuring metal mass away from him, but to no avail.

Sasori came closer, and Deidara struggled harder, utterly terrified.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! LEAVE ME ALONE, UN! I DIDN'T MEAN IT!** I DON'T WANT TO FORGET!"**

The red head was not deterred by the blonde's refusal, nor by the fact that he had never tried to insert two needles inside of one's memory centre before. He attached chakra strings to Deidara, holding him completely still for the delicate incision. The blonde whined in the back of this throat as the needle entered Deidara's right eye, and Sasori used chakra threads to guide it into the memory centre of the blonde's brain, imbedding it next to the one that he had placed three years prior.

It wasn't a perfect fit, and it definitely wouldn't be as stable as all the other seals he had made, but it would be good enough.

"You won't remember anything of our sex life; not the first time, and not after we made The Deal. As far as you know, we have never done anything of the sought. You don't 'love' me, and we have always been just partners in the Akatsuki." He made a half ram seal, bringing his other hand to cover Deidara's countenance, three fingers on his forehead, pinkie on one cheek and thumb on the other. "Activate."

The chakra strings that he had had attached to the blonde went suddenly limp and all awareness disappeared from Deidara's forget-me-not eyes, his lids shutting immediately after Sasori released his chakra threads. The eighteen year old slumped forward, limp but only semi-unconscious, proof that it wasn't a perfect seal. He mumbled something and opened his forget-me-not eyes slightly to look nebulously up at Sasori, confused and bordering on sleep. "…Dan…na…?"

"We'll set up camp for the night," Sasori spoke calmly and almost tenderly, moving his hand from Deidara's soft face. As he did so, he accidentally brushed the small pink cherry blossom which had been stuck to the blonde's cheek since he had tripped over the tree root.

The light petal fell to the ground, becoming no different than the others which had fallen before it.

Deidara gave a slight nod, immediately closing his forget-me-not eyes in order to let sleep over take him. The seal was not secure at all, and it was more linked to Sasori than the red head had hoped. It would most likely break if something were to happen to the red head, such as death - not that that situation was even possible…

The red head hesitantly ran a hand through the blonde's golden hair, already half regretting what he had just done. No, this was for the best…Sasori was used to carrying such weight around.

The burden was his - and _only_ his - to bear.


	52. Swept Away

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Two

Swept Away

Deidara awoke soon with a groan, sitting up to look at the small fire which burned next to him for a few seconds, before turning away from it. "Fuck, my head hurts…" He looked around, noticing Hiruko sitting a few feet away with Sasori sitting next to the puppet, and the blonde gave him a groggy blink. "Danna? What happened, un?"

The red head looked over at the blonde, resisting the urge to fuss over the boy to make sure that he was alright. Sasori's commonsense had returned, and he had recalled the fact about just how dangerous it had been to try and insert a second needle inside of the blonde's memory centre. A million things could have gone wrong, and if Deidara had died, Pein would have definitely known that it had been the red head's fault. "You tripped over a cherry blossom root and you got knocked unconscious. How are you feeling?"

Deidara gave him a nebulous blink before cringing, clutching his head roughly. "My head hurts like a bitch…Wait a second…" The blonde frowned deeply in thought, until he abruptly gave a cry of pain, curling into a tight ball, clenching his teeth together tightly. "Fuck!"

Sasori frowned and stood up, walking half urgently over to the blonde to see what the problem was. He pried Deidara out of the ball which he had moved himself into, giving a frown at the blonde, "What is the problem?"

Deidara looked up at Sasori for a few seconds, before giving a cringe, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. "…My head hurts when I try to remember…When I try to remember…" The red head frowned slightly and then moved his palm to Deidara's forehead, pumping chakra in a wave through the boy's mind. The blonde immediately fell unconscious.

Sasori frowned at the blonde, before turning his gaze to watch the flickering fire. It definitely wasn't a good sign if Deidara was experiencing intense pain…

Sasori mentally scolded himself for doing something so stupid and careless. First of all he had never experimented on having more than one needle inside of a person's brain before. Also he had never rid anyone of so great a portion of one's memory…Kabuto's memory had been only about a year's worth of memory…Whiel Sasori had been sleeping with Deidara since he was sixteen…

-x-

Deidara woke up early the next morning with Sasori still sitting next to him, carefully staring into the banked fire without looking at the blonde. The eighteen year old sat up, moving a hand to his head while giving a slight groan of pain. "What the fuck, un? Why did you fucking knock me unconscious?"

Sasori looked to the blonde, giving him a slow blink as he carefully tiptoed through a metaphorical minefield. "How is your head?"

"It still hurts like a bitch, un." Deidara shuffled slightly closer to the fire, putting his hands close to the banked flames to try and warm himself up. The mouths on his palms stuck their tongues out also to feel the heat glow across their surfaces. "What happened? My head hasn't hurt this much since…Since…"

Realisation suddenly crossed the blonde's expression, and his body went completely rigid. "…Now Deidara-"

The blonde immediately turned to face Sasori, fists clenched and expression full of utter rage. "YOU FUCKING MESSED WITH MY MEMORIES AGAIN, DIDN'T YOU? WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU GONE AND DELETED THIS TIME, UN?" After a few seconds of silence the blonde sneered and frowned in thought, trying to remember what it was that Sasori had erased. He immediately gave a cry of pain, leaning forward until his nose touched the ground, fists clenching at his hair in agony. "WHY THE FUCK DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?" Sasori opened his mouth to respond, but Deidara was too impatient. He sat back up and viciously grabbed the red head's Akatsuki cloak, pulling him close to sneer dangerously at the puppet. "GIVE ME BACK MY MEMORIES OR ELSE I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, UN!"

"IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE, BRAT!" Sasori ripped the blonde's hands off of him, shooting the kid an equally dangerous glare. "I've never had two needles inside of a spy's head before; if I were to cancel the Jutsu then there is a high possibility that it could kill you or make you go insane…I didn't get rid of any memories that were important."

Deidara let go of Sasori, but continued to glare at the red head, "If they were so unimportant…Then why the FUCK did you have to get rid of them, un?" The blonde looked over to the fire, cringing slightly before looking back at the red head. "Why the fuck is my head hurting so much when I try to remember? When you erased my memory about the location of the meeting with Kabuto it didn't hurt to try and recall…"

"Deidara; if you want your head to stop hurting, then you need to stop trying to remember." Sasori stood up and aimed his palm at the fire, spraying it with a bit of water to put it out using the small jet imbedded in his hand. "Now come on; we're moving out." The red head traipsed to Hiruko and climbed inside of the puppet, closing the hatch with a quick flick of chakra threads.

The blonde grudgingly stood up, still glaring at the marionette, but he had no other choice but to follow. They moved back to the cherry blossom track and continued there traipse towards their location, the mountain still looking just as distant as when they had started along the path.

Sasori could practically sense the hatred in the air and the confusion that Deidara possessed. Every now and then he would give a pained noise, being mentally punished for trying to remember what he had been forced to forget. He hated Sasori, and unknowingly loved him at the same time.

-x-

Thirty Five Years Old

It had been a few months since Sasori had rid the blonde of the unnecessary memories, and Deidara had mostly forgiven the puppet. His head had stopped hurting as he had long since stopped trying to remember what he had forgotten.

Sasori had noticed that the blonde had changed somewhat ever since the second needle had been inserted. He had more trouble in remembering information in the short term unless he was reminded often; Deidara was just as jokingly seductive, but he was even more reckless, as if he now no longer cared whether he was alive or dead.

On some nights, Sasori would have to listen to the blonde moaning the red head's name in his sleep, the memories of something unreachable and intangible still accessible in dreams, but never remembered once conscious.

Sasori and Deidara were currently taking a break from their long trek next to a wide river, one of the many notorious rapid-laced rampages that the Land of Rivers was famous for. Deidara lay basking in the sunshine, soaking in the rays with a small smirk on his lips.

Sasori - on the other hand - had decided to remodel his puppet collection while he had the time, leaning his back against the outside of Hiruko as he did so. Sasori had counted his oeuvre as he had done so, quite proud once he realised that he possessed a total of 298 puppets. Only two more and he would reach the 300 mark. As much as he wanted to go and find two new additions right away, he decided to put it off. These puppets had to be significant, not only in their number, but also in their quality.

Sasori looked back over to the blonde, noting the soft flesh of his shirtless body, feeling a familiar yearning trying to make itself noted. The red head quickly dismissed the inappropriate thoughts from his mind, reminding himself that he had long since given up on the blonde. They no longer had a Deal; Sasori no longer had control over Deidara, nor did he lust for him. "Hey Danna…" The red head casually continued to remodel his collection, giving a hum of recognition, "What do you think happens after we die, un?"

Sasori slowly blinked at the blonde before raising an eyebrow at him, scoffing slightly in irritation. "I'm not going to die, so there is no use in wondering."

"I'm just curious - no need to bite my head off, Danna." Deidara gave a sigh and continued to bask in the warm sunlight, the sound of the churning river loud in the background. "I think that there is nothing after we die…We're dead, and we will never see the light of day again~" Deidara gave a laugh of glee that Sasori couldn't quite understand.

The red head scoffed and shook his head, refusing to answer the dumb question…He looked back to the blonde, raising an eyebrow at him…"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Deidara opened his right eye, looking to the side at Sasori while giving a wide grin.

"Just catching up on my tan, un…Why do you ask? Is your virgin ass feeling needy~?" Deidara sat up, opening his other forget-me-not eye as he did so, his blonde fringe swaying back and forth for several seconds. He wasn't wearing his scope. "Maybe I should have a nice cool dip in this river then."

Sasori lowered his eyes at the blonde, giving him a good hard glare of irritation, "The current is far too fast and it is way too deep, Brat. Unless you have a death wish, then I would recommend staying-" The blonde stood up, "What the hell are you doing?" Deidara dropped his pants onto the ground to pool around his feet, easily stepping out of the heap of material with his boxers still covering his lower regions.

"I'm going for a swim obviously, un; and here I thought that you were the smart one~" Deidara grinned at him before traipsing slowly to the river's edge, sitting down with his legs dangling in the water. "Hmmm…It's a bit nippy but oh well." The blonde gave a slight chuckle before sliding into the clear liquid, grasping tightly onto the edge of the river.

"Why the hell are you swimming almost-naked in a cold river full of fast currents, rocks and rapids?" Sasori stood up, taking a cautious step towards the blonde, prepared in case something went wrong - which it most likely would.

"An artist must always seek greater stimulation," Deidara smirked up at the red head with a sharp twinkle in his eyes, "lest his senses turn dull~" The blonde took in a gasp of air and then ducked his head underwater, hands still clearly clutching onto the edge with his fingers visible. Sasori waited for him to resurface, eyes narrowing as at least a minute slowly ticked by. How long was the blonde planning on holding his breath?

He was taken aback when the nineteen year old's hands slid from their tight grip of the mud and grass, slipping below the water's surface.

Sasori jumped as he saw the dark shape of the blonde beneath the water begin to get dragged away from the edge, towards the faster currents in the centre of the river, easily being swept away quickly downstream.

Sasori immediately began to run after the boy's figure, managing to keep up with the shadow although he began to lag behind as the river sped up, heading towards the rapids. The red head tried attaching chakra strings to the blonde, but the river was too strong a force acting against the threads.

Sasori did the next best action…Or at least, the next idea that came to mind.

He made several handsigns after automatically slipping his Akatsuki cloak from his shoulders, activating his Human Jutsu so that his puppet body would not get waterlogged and so no poison would seep from his weapons into the water.

Sasori didn't listen to an ounce of commonsense; he jumped into the water, and immediately grabbed onto the dark shadow of Deidara before it was out of reach.

Sasori pulled the blonde against his chest, quickly lifting his head above the water, noting the loll of the boy's neck which signified that he was unconscious. The red head then recalled the rapids that they were heading for, and - holding fast to the blonde with one hand - he moved his other above the water, aiming chakra strings at a large tree.

They held for several seconds, managing to pull him a few centimetres closer to the edge, but Sasori couldn't hold them as he began to sink below the water's surface. He had to release the threads in order to tread water, grinding his teeth together tightly as his mind struggled to think up a way to survive.

Hiruko was too far away by this point in time to be of any use. His puppets were also of no use. There was nothing to grab onto. This human body was practically useless, as was his marionette body as it would get too easily waterlogged and would just end up sinking. Dammit!

He didn't want to fucking die because of the Brat's suicidal stupidity!

That was when an idea suddenly struck him. THE THIRD KAZEKAGE PUPPET! IT WAS SEALED INSIDE OF HIS CLOAK! …Oh fuck, he had taken his cloak off before he jumped in to save the blonde…

Was this how the mighty Sasori of the Red Sand would at last meet his demise?

He could survive almost any injury, but his heart was still a weak point and…And Deidara…

They were coming up to the first rock, and Sasori couldn't figure out how to save him self from hitting it, so he didn't try to dodge it. The red head turned so that his back was facing the boulder, curling partly into a ball, protectively around the unconscious blonde. A few seconds later, Sasori's back slammed into the wall of rock, immediately winding the male, ridding himself of air.

The river began to pull him around the rock, trying to drag the duo towards the raging rapids, smashing waterfalls, and the jagged daggered rocks. Sasori quickly uncurled and grabbed onto a sharp pillar which stuck out the very top of the rock, the razor-like edge slicing into his palm until the red head felt warm blood trickling down his wrist, but he ignored the painful bite. He struggled to fight against the current, using his body to pin the blonde to the rock, having to use his other hand in order to grab another section of sharp rock so as to keep them both from being swept away.

Sasori cringed and tried to steady his pained breathing after being slammed against the rock earlier, despite the fact that the water was numbing his body. Deidara was still unconscious, and the red head was starting to find it difficult to keep him against the rock using his body.

The current was far too strong and Sasori's arms were aching painfully. His hand slipped for a few seconds, but he quickly regained the grip, giving a gasp as a jagged spike dug into his hand, but he ignored it as he continued to cling to the rock.

After a few minutes, Sasori was completely exhausted.

He was ready to give up and to let the waters have their way.

Voices were beginning to sound in his head, trying to tempt him into letting go of the lifeline_. Let go, you are just prolonging the inevitable. You can't save him, you can't even save yourself. Join us already; we've been waiting for you._

The roar of the water began to sound like the cry of a bawling child that Sasori knew all too well.

He was just about ready to die, when suddenly he heard a voice over the roar of the water; this one was real.

Sasori didn't know what it said, but the next thing he knew there was something next to him in the water. For a few seconds the red head's exhausted mind thought that it was a snake, but soon his quick intellect processed the fact that it was actually a rope.

Sasori looked back at the shore, eyes widening when he saw a boy with red hair who looked like a young version of himself…He blinked a few times and the image shifted into reality, revealing that it had just been a trick of his mind.

A boy did stand on the shore line, but he looked absolutely nothing like Sasori, possessing bobbed purple-grey hair. "GRAB THE ROPE!" The red head blinked – dumbfounded - noting how the end of the cord was securely fastened around a thick tree, and Sasori had no other choice but to accept the help, half begrudgingly, knowing with rue that it was his only chance to save the both of them.

The red head would rather have help from this kid than end up dead.

Sasori grabbed onto the rope with one hand, having to let go of the other immediately in order to catch the blonde. The red head was partly swept away by the current, but he was tightly holding onto the rope so that he did not go too far through the surging water. Sasori manoeuvred his mouth forwards, clenching his teeth down to grip the rope as tightly as possible before having to remove his hand from the cord, straining to keep from relinquishing his grip.

The red head moved his now free hand into the air, aiming it at a tree. Sasori connected chakra threads quickly to a bough, tugging harshly on them. He managed to use the strings to pull himself closer to the shore line.

But just as he got within two metres of it, the rope _snapped_.

A long piece of the cord was still clenched in the red head's teeth. His chakra threads also broke as he was once again dragged along by the river.

But Sasori's hope had been restored.


	53. Bleeding Poison

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Three

Bleeding Poison

The red head pulled the rope from his mouth, and in a few struggling seconds he found himself wrapping the cord around his chest and the blonde, holding Deidara in place in order to free both of his arms from having to keep hold of him. After a few more seconds he had at last succeeded in tying a tough enough knot, and he automatically began swimming to the shore, the current of the water not being as strong as it had been in the centre of the river.

He saw his opportunity in a thin root that stuck out from the shore and Sasori quickly grabbed it, his body turning ninety degrees in the water, allowing him the chance to swing his legs onto the grassy ledge.

He managed to achieve this just as the root snapped in his hands, and Sasori rolled his body a few times until he was completely out of the water, lying on the grass with the still unconscious blonde lying on his chest.

The sun was beating down on them innocently as if nothing had happened, and Sasori shakily sat up.

It hurt to move and he wished that he could have just stayed on his back until he was rested to at least _some_ extent, but Deidara required immediate medical attention.

Sasori quickly undid the rope as fast as possible, perfunctorily tossing it to the side as he laid the blonde carefully on the ground, searching for signs of life. He still had a pulse, but the red head would have to revive him before his condition took a turn for the worst.

Sasori began to perform CPR on the nineteen year old, pumping his chest several times before moving his mouth to Deidara's, breathing air into his lungs. After a few seconds he moved his ear to the blonde's lips, listening for sounds of breathing and - finding none - proceeded to repeat his actions.

Sasori continued to pump the blonde's chest, methodically pushing several times before proceeding to force oxygen into his mouth, before starting all over again. After several more attempts - when Sasori pressed his facial orifice against the blonde's for the sixth time - he finally succeeded.

The red head felt a hand grip his hair, pressing their lips together tightly for several seconds in what could be a kiss - but it didn't last long. Deidara abruptly pulled away, turning the top half of his body to face away from the red head, beginning to splutter, cough, and hack up stray water that had made its way into his lungs.

"Oh _gawd_, remind-" the blonde paused as he went into a short coughing fit, expelling the remainder of liquid from his lungs, "…Remind me not to do that again, un…" He was now panting, but he no longer needed to cough at this point, simply trying to catch up on his missed breath. Deidara turned back to the red head after several seconds, giving him a puzzled expression, "What happened and why are you all wet?" The blonde's eyes snaked up and down Sasori's body, appearing to be slightly taken aback and the red head easily recognised the nineteen year old's slight buzz of desire. "…And why are you in your human body…?"

"Shut up." Sasori pushed the blonde flat against the ground, spontaneously pressing their mouths together in a vicious kiss, immediately slipping his tongue into the slightly parted lips. Deidara gave a slightly confused moan as the red head began to run over memorised pleasure spots with such skill that it baffled the blonde with its expertise. The nineteen year old soon wrapped his arms around Sasori's neck, pulling their cold bodies closer and eagerly kissing back, moaning into the red head's mouth.

Sasori was just about ready to take the blonde then and there, but he was interrupted by a nearby shuffle and a voice. "Are you both alright? The rope snapped and…" The red head immediately pulled away from Deidara and turned partway to face the voice, immediately reaching for his weapons pouch, but the red head found that it wasn't there. He blinked and looked down, scowling slightly when he realised that it must have been swept away by the current. Sasori looked back to the voice but then relaxed once he saw who it was. There stood the little boy with the purple-grey hair who had thrown the rope to them earlier. "…Is he alright?" The kid motioned to Deidara and Sasori guessed that he thought that the kiss had just been the red head giving him CPR…Good.

The red head got to his feet, cringing once he recalled how badly his body ached, but he managed to ignore it for now as he helped the blonde stand. As soon as Deidara stood, he immediately collapsed back onto the ground with a groan of pain, before looking around with a dazed look. "Man, how did I get here? One minute I was seeing how long I could hold my breath, the next I'm half drowned with you ki-" Deidara's eyes fell onto the boy, and he was miraculously silenced once he realised that they were not alone, blinking quickly several times. "…With you giving me _'CPR'_, un…Danna, who is this?"

Sasori looked to the blonde, and then back to the young child who looked to be somewhere between eight and eleven years of age. "He tried to save us from your stupid suicidal tenaciousness, Brat…Who are you?"

The boy blinked at them slowly with a pair of large eyes, and then gave a pleasant smile at the older males, "My name is Ranmaru. I foresaw that you were in danger and I came to help you." Around his shoulder was the rest of the rope that had been tied to the tree, and Sasori gave a slight nod, too tired to bother playing twenty-billion questions.

"Well, thank you for trying to help." The red head didn't give the full deserved thanks because he was sure that he would have survived with or without the boy's help. He would have eventually caught onto the idea of tying the blonde to himself in order to free his arms up, probably having to resort to using his trousers to do so – while still wearing his boxers though. Then he would have been able to push off from the rock and swam to shore, eventually succeeding. Sasori turned to the blonde, giving him an exhausted and irked off look. "Get up; we have to go." Deidara pouted slightly and once again tried to stand, but again he couldn't succeed, collapsing back onto the ground with a thud and a groan of frustration. Sasori sighed and moved into a crouching position, back facing the blonde, "Fine then; get on."

Deidara gave a somewhat sickened look, and at first utterly refused the red head's help, trying once more to get to his feet. After three more futile attempts, he finally gave up and wrapped his arms around Sasori's neck, sharp humiliation turning his face red as his pride was wounded. The older male straightened up, taking hold of the blonde's legs so that he did not slip, groaning slightly at the exertion. He had already been beyond exhausted, and now with Deidara's added weight, Sasori was pushing far beyond him limits.

But then again, the blonde was his burden anyway. Ranmaru gave a blink up at them, taking a cautious step forward, "Can I help in any way?"

"No," Sasori immediately dismissed the boy, "you can have the rest of your rope back; thank you for trying to help." Ranmaru gave a slow – slightly baffled - nod and the red head began the long trek alongside the river, moving back upstream, knowing that he had to get back to Hiruko and to their campsite before dark. After a while, and enough assurance that the boy had not followed them, Sasori finally spoke; "Don't you _**EVER**_ do that again!"

Deidara gave a slight monotonous hum, seeming to not really pay attention to what the red head said. "…You're actually pretty skilled at kissing, Danna. It must have taken a tonne of practise to kiss like that, un…" Sasori was just silent, deciding that the best thing to say in the situation was nothing at all. "How many people have you ever kissed in your life?"

"Two…" The red head shrugged slightly, cringing as a shot of pain ran through his already aching body, but it did not deter him. "Karura once, though she kissed me and it was just a peck…And you." Hopefully the blonde would take that as meaning the one kiss that they had had just then, and he wouldn't become suspicious.

"Bullshit!" Sasori was slightly relieved by the joking tone and the loud laugh that the blonde gave, "That was your first proper kiss? Whatever happened to trying to stab me whenever I kissed you?" The red head was just quiet, reserving him self to quiet annoyance. "Man, then you're naturally skilled, Danna, un!"

Sasori gave a sigh and irritatingly shook his head, feeling the conversation to be quite awkward from his knowing point of view. He felt the blonde run a hand down Sasori's chest and then back up the soft flesh, obviously trying to seduce the red head into doing more than just kiss him. Sasori shot the blonde a dark glare over his shoulder, "Don't even think about it, Deidara. I almost got myself killed trying to save you; one more move and I'll toss you right back into the river."

"Oh I get it," the blonde gave a short laugh and returned his hand to its prior position wrapped around Sasori's neck, "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', right?" The red head scoffed, rolling his eyes as he did so, and he heard the blonde give a long low yawn. "I'm hell tired already; and the sun is only just setting, un." Sasori felt the blonde nuzzle the back of Sasori's neck, and in a few moments Deidara's weight practically doubled as he fell unconscious, becoming a complete dead-weight. The red head gave a groan and continued to painstakingly carry the blonde to the campsite, bearing the pain in each of his limbs, contemplating changing back into his puppet self…

No, it wouldn't be possible with Deidara on his back due to his scroll holder attachment and metal wings so he had no other option but to continue on.

-x-

He finally reached the campsite an hour or so after sunset, almost tripping over the unnoticed Akatsuki cloak that he had discarded prior to jumping into the river. Sasori managed to pick it up, tying it around both his and the blonde's necks so that it covered Deidara's dry but cold body. The red head's pants were damp and uncomfortable, but he didn't let it discourage him as he finally reached his carapace, several other puppets were still sprawled out on the ground where he had left them. Luckily nothing appeared to have been tampered with, and there were no signs that others had been within the vicinity.

Sasori gave an exhausted sigh and moved over to Hiruko, placing Deidara down carefully inside of the puppet before sealing away the various other puppets and climbing in him self, shutting the lid after him. It was extremely cramped, but far warmer with both their contributing body heats, which was a positive factor. Sasori used his Akatsuki cloak as a blanket over the two of them and he held Deidara close in order to keep them both warm, soon finding himself tempted into a deep fatigued sleep.

-x-

Sasori was awoken late the next morning by the feeling of the blonde shuffling and giving a groan, "Fuck; I'm aching, un." He gave a sigh and tried to sit up, hitting his head on the top of Hiruko's lid, giving a loud groan as he lay back down, looking towards the red head. "You could have warned me."

"I'm not responsible for acts of your own stupidity." Sasori sat up slightly, about to open Hiruko's hatch, but he was abruptly pulled back down by the blonde so that he was lying on top of him, becoming aware once more that Deidara was only wearing a pair of boxers. Their bodies ran together slowly and their lips were only a few centimetres apart, the other's hot breath being felt on the other's skin.

"Why don't we catch up on where we were yesterday before that kid interrupted us, un?" Deidara wrapped his arms tightly around Sasori's neck, connecting their lips together in a harsh kiss. The red head dominantly pressed back hard, moving his hands to caress the blonde's bare torso, running along his sides as he slid his tongue into Deidara's mouth. He roughly massaged the various pleasure spots inside of the blonde's orifice and across his torso, knowing exactly what ministrations would achieve a pleased reaction from the nineteen year old beneath him. Deidara moaned into Sasori's mouth and moved his legs to wrap around the red head's waist, sliding their clothed hips together as he did so.

They were abruptly interrupted by a sudden familiar yet unexpected voice sounding inside both of their heads, _"Akatsuki, we are having a meeting now; be prompt in arriving as this is important and I will not tolerate any of you being absent."_

They both blinked at each other and couldn't help but sigh, Sasori sitting up as he opened Hiruko's lid. "Come on Brat; we best not keep Leader waiting." The blonde groaned and stood up, stepping out of Hiruko as the red head pulled his Akatsuki cloak back on and Deidara did the same after finding his uniform, slightly moist with morning dew. Sasori blinked slowly at the blonde before he cancelled his Jutsu, returning to his painless puppet perfection and his youthful looks before snapping Hiruko's top shut.

-x-

Sasori and Deidara's holograms appeared within the recesses of a particularly dry cave which – as far as they could tell - was not too far away from where their bodies were. The cave was completely closed off except for a small entrance way full of light which reflected off a small shore of water that ran into the cave.

The rest of the Akatsuki were already gathered and had been waiting for the artists to arrive, though they were not chided for their late coming.

"We are all here," Pein openly stated the obvious as he looked around, not even needing to perform a headcount, "let us begin." Sasori nodded Hiruko's hologram head and their leader decided to quickly continue. "Our mission is starting now…We are beginning our hunt for the other seven Bijuu who roam the lands, whether they possesses Jinchuriki or they are wild…And the team that is starting will be Sasori and Deidara, as they are the closest and the most suitable in the capturing the One Tailed Beast…" Both artists gave a nod at their leader, now twice as interested in what he was saying since it now involved them personally. "This Bijuu's Jinchuriki is none other than the Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure; a male who goes by the name of Gaara."

The red head was stunned by the words, and he mentally scolded himself for not suspecting the idea that he would be forced to capture and kill his old best friend's son. Of course he would have had to; it was the most appropriate decision for their Leader to devise! Sasori was familiar with the harsh wasteland known as the Wind Country, plus he was the only Akatsuki member - aside from Orochimaru - to have brought down a Kazekage in the past.

It was the most logical decision that Pein could have made.

He still did not want to do it, and familiar words echoed through his mind, 'Always protect my children'. Karura's words from the letter that she had written for the red head, telling him that she had no regrets in making her decision to let the puppeteer go.

Sasori was now feeling reasonably miserable at the prospect of having to kill the red headed child whose premature birth had cost Karura her life.

"Sasori," the puppet snapped back to reality, diverting his mentality from his regretful thoughts, "I know that you are capable of devising information concerning the Jinchuriki, and I am aware of your close relationship with its mother." Deidara jerked slightly in shock as realisation also struck him, his sharp mind able to quickly piece together the relationship between Karura and Gaara, but he didn't openly reveal his surprise and Sasori was the only one to catch onto the extremely slight jolt. "All of you are to capture your Jinchuriki in order and if this sealing is a success, then I will designate you each a Bijuu to capture depending on its number of tails and your proximity to it. All of you may now disperse, excluding Konan, Deidara and Sasori."

The rest of the holograms gave slight nods and disappeared with subtly different interludes between each vanishing act, soon ending with just four Akatsuki members remaining in the cave. At that point Sasori realised that Konan wasn't actually a hologram, but a solid figure.

"This location where you are currently located in hologram form is to be the sealing location of the One Tailed Bijuu. After you have captured it alive - though preferably unconscious - you are to return here where I will be stationed. I shall have Konan set up a Five Seal Barrier in order to avoid intruders, and I myself will set up the Mirrored Sudden Attacker Technique in order to delay their advancement further." With that, Konan gave a slight nod and then dispersed in a burst of paper, one of these sheets drifting to the ground as the rest flew out of the gap, carefully avoiding the water as she left. "You will go into Sunagakure as covertly as possible, kidnap the Jinchuriki, and bring it to this location."

Sasori then realised that Pein continuously referred to Gaara as either 'the Jinchuriki' or as 'it'…Of course - it was easier to do away with something if you simply decided that it was not a human being.

It was hard to kill a him; it was easy to kill an it…

"There is a loose rock above the entrance way which is the result of a Jutsu I have placed on it. Before you go to Sunagakure, you must arrive at this location and set up the fifth seal of the barrier. The boulder has been linked to your chakras and you will be the only ones - other than myself - capable of moving the boulder." They turned and watched as the rock abruptly gave a rumble and fell from its place, blocking out the last rays of sunshine, though everything in the cave was still clear even with the lack of light. "Konan - after placing four of the five tags - will appear and guide you to the location of this cave, but she is needed back in Amegakure and will not be going with you to Sunagakure." They both gave a nod and Pein slowly closed his Rinnegan eyes, "Are there any questions?"

"I'll do it." Pein opened his eyes, both he and Sasori turning to look quizzically at Deidara. The blonde blinked slowly at them, seeming slightly stunned by his own outburst as well, but he continued without anymore hesitation. "I will take down the One Tails, un."

Pein narrowed his eyes slightly, though not in irritation, before turning to look at the puppet, "If that is alright with Sasori, then you may. I don't care which one of you takes the Jinchuriki down; just as long as it is achieved…" The red head nodded Hiruko's head and Pein closed his eyes, seeming perfectly satisfied. "Just don't let your emotions get in the way of the mission; I won't judge you as long as you fulfil your duty as Akatsuki members."

Only Sasori truly understood what their leader was alluding to, and though he felt embarrassed by the fact that Pein knew, at the same time he was content with the lack of any hostile reaction.

Deidara's hologram abruptly buzzed and completely disappeared, leaving Pein and the puppet alone - both slightly irritated.

"Sasori," the red head looked to his Leader with quick acuteness, "those needles that you have burrowed inside of Deidara's head had better not affect this mission. I have been extremely slack with your upbringing of the blonde, but there will be consequences if he fails to take down the Jinchuriki, or if he loses his focus while sealing the Bijuu. I will not tolerate another several year set back due to your experimentation." The puppet gave a nod, and Pein gave what could have been a sigh, "How long have you been in the Akatsuki, Sasori?"

"Fifteen years," the same amount of years he had lived in Sunagakure, but he didn't add that to his answer.

"Time travels too hastily…" There was something unbelievably genuine in his voice, and Sasori's respect for Pein immediately grew, feeling - even if temporarily - that his life held some worth to the man who led the Akatsuki.

The red head was not just another member of the organisation, he was an old friend.

"Sasori; since Deidara is after the One Tails, I shall have you go after the Three Tails…Its location is currently unknown and it does not possess a Jinchuriki host, so it will be more vicious though not as intelligent. I was going to have Deidara take it down, but since he has taken it upon himself to take down the One-Tails, you will have to take this one. Hidan and Kakuzu are both currently on their way to capture the Two Tails, so after they are complete you are to capture the beast so we can seal it." Sasori nodded, wondering where the hell he was going to find it if its location was unknown, "You may go now; Konan will be with you shortly."

"Yes, Leader," Sasori nodded Hiruko's head, feeling implausibly proud of him self, "thank you." With that, the red head returned to his real body, giving a sigh of what was half relief and the other half made up of platonic adoration.

He opened Hiruko to check up on the blonde outside, and he suddenly felt all of his elated feelings get swept away in one single moment, faster than the river had been when it had carried him away. Deidara was kneeling on the ground, covering half of his face with his hands, eyes clenched tightly together in agony.

Between his fingers trickled long lines of dark red blood; the crimson liquid ran river-like trails across his tanned skin.


	54. Tradition

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Four

Tradition

Sasori quickly stumbled out of Hiruko to aid the blonde, kneeling down in front of his ex-lover, pulling Deidara's hands away from his face. The boy opened his forget-me-not eyes slightly to look at the red head, before letting Sasori move his hands away from covering his countenance.

Blood was flowing out of the blonde's nose and there was also blood running down from his mouth. Sasori frowned at the scarlet liquid in frustration and he guessed that what Pein had said had triggered something inside of Deidara's mind to loosen the seal.

It seemed that the red head's actions and words did not disturb it, but if someone else were to mention a hint of the blonde's missing memories, it had the ability to really affect the Jutsu. This was not good; the seal was far too unstable.

Sasori had no choice but to leave the seal unbroken. If it was to be released, then there was not only an 18% chance of death, but there was also an 80% chance that he would go insane, leaving only a 2% chance of him surviving with both his life and lucidness.

Those statistics were definitely not worth it.

The red head placed his palms over Deidara's eyes, holding them shut as he sent chakra strings slipping through his pores, into his brain. He closed his own muddy orbs in concentration and attached his threads to the needle imbedded deep in the blonde's head, being careful to avoid the other seal which he had inserted several years before the second. He pushed it deeper inside of Deidara's brain, simultaneously using his Tender Touch Technique to heal the damage as he operated. The bleeding halted and after a few seconds the red head finished, pulling his hands away from Deidara's countenance. "How is it?"

"…" The blonde opened his eyes slowly, giving the red head a half sulking, half irked expression, "I have two fucking needles inside of my head; how do you think I feel, un?" Deidara gave a sigh and wiped the blood away from his nose and mouth before looking towards his hands, the skin stained red. "…I guess it is alright…It still hurts, though not as much…"

Sasori partly turned towards Hiruko, attaching strings to his medical pouch, pulling it into his lap. "I will see if I have any painkillers…" The red head searched through the bag, giving a slight hum as he pulled out a syringe with his last amount of palliative liquid, pulling the blonde's sleeve up until his left bicep was revealed. With one quick motion he sunk the needle into Deidara's arm, injecting the pain-relieving medicine into his bloodstream. The nineteen year old didn't even give a groan, having experienced far greater pain in the past. "It will take a few minutes for it to take effect." The blonde nodded and pulled his sleeve down as Sasori got to his feet, turning towards Hiruko. "Konan will be here shortly; we best be ready."

Deidara nodded and traipsed over to the river, kneeling beside it in order to wash his face, hands and arms of blood. Sasori climbed inside of Hiruko, placing his medical bag down and sneering slightly as he remembered that his weapons pouch had been washed away during his heroic attempt to save the blonde. He shook his head perfunctorily and shut Hiruko's lid, once more giving the impression of the puppet being his true identity.

Deidara finished cleaning the blood from his skin and stood up, taking a moment to redo his messy hairstyle before the other Akatsuki member suddenly arrived.

She appeared in a swirl of white, landing in front of the artists with the sound of rustling and scraping of paper against paper, slowly reforming into her solid, human self. Konan looked between them without any apparent interest, turning her head slightly so as to politely not gaze directly at them. "I am here to escort you to the hideout, please follow my lead."

Sasori nodded Hiruko's head as he took full control of the puppet, bending him to his will, making the marionette snap to attention. Both Deidara and Sasori began to follow after the woman with the blonde in between his two superiors. They all walked along the side of the river, the trip taking shorter than the walk back to their camp the night before, both now being fully recovered from their journey through the water.

-o-

The day of my death will soon arrive, for all who are getting quite tired of my droning. While it is not over just yet, the mission to capture Gaara was the very last mission that I accomplished…Aside from the whole ambush squad thing…

-o-

They had long since passed the area where, on the previous day, Sasori had managed to pull Deidara and him self to shore, and the red head began to notice that the other side of the wide stretch of water was beginning to rise in a cliff formation, towering over them. Soon it stopped growing and levelled out into a flat forest, but it still remained high above them on the other side of the river. The ground that they had been walking abruptly stopped at a sheer rocky wall, though the river on their right continued between the two cliffs.

Konan turned and began to control her chakra in order to walk on the surface of the water, and Sasori could have practically died. WHY THE FUCK HADN'T HE THOUGHT OF THAT YESTERDAY?

The red head gave an inaudible sigh of annoyance, knowing that at any point he could have just controlled his chakra so that he could have walked on the surface of the water in order to carry the blonde to safety. He was surprised slightly when the blonde shot him an irking smirk from over his shoulder, as if knowing exactly what Sasori was thinking.

It lasted for only a second before Deidara turned his head forward again as he stepped out onto the water surface, easily being able to traipse on top of the liquid as if it were solid rock. Sasori balanced his chakra around Hiruko's large base and followed the other Akatsuki members on the water surface, continuing across the river, completely undeterred by the cliff faces on either side of them.

They walked in silence with just the sounds of nearby trees rustling in the wind, the twittering of birds, and also the running of the water beneath their feet. The sun was setting and it would be dark soon, but the Akatsuki continued forward without hindrance, knowing that it was possible, and occasionally required, of them to travel for days on end without stopping. Both he and Deidara had extremely high stamina after spending years in the notorious organisation known as the Akatsuki.

They soon reached an odd area in which the river widened slightly where there was a large arch with crimson paint that had long since become faded; it was an entrance which led straight into a giant rock face. "This is the place," Konan stopped and turned to the duo, wearing her usual stoic expression, "on the opposite side of the boulder is the cave. Leader has already connected the seal with your chakra, but it will require both of you to form Ram Seals in order to activate it and enter the cave."

They both nodded and did as the female Akatsuki member instructed, both making the needed hand sign, not at all surprised by the sound of rumbling. The boulder which blocked the entrance shifted upwards, dripping water as it disappeared into the roof of the cavern, soon its base being the only visible portion of it.

"I must leave you now - inside you will find a paper tag for the Five Seal Barrier. In order to enable the both of you to pass through the barrier after you capture the Jinchuriki, you must place and activate the last seal. All you have to do in order to set it is to place the paper tag on the surface of the rock after you leave the cave. I have already set the other four, but you must set the final seal yourself." She bowed slightly and politely to her comrades, but straightened up at a leisurely pace, stoic countenance as per usual. "Now I really must go, farewell." They nodded and she disappeared in a flurry of papers, swiftly flying off into the distance with the appearance similar to a fast moving cloud.

Sasori frowned to himself and carefully ideated about the stoic female member of the Akatsuki, for once truly curious of her character. She would have been deemed a success.

A true Shinobi; her visible self being completely void of any emotion, knowing no other facial structure other than being cool, calm and collect. Sasori respected her greatly for achieving the goal, but he was also disappointed when he wondered what must have happened in her past that had made the girl act that way.

Sasori had murdered one of his closest friends, and yet he had remained unchanged…Or had he? The red head frowned as he began to contemplate the extent of Daichi's death, and what it had done to him. If it haven't had happened, Sasori may have never gained the knowledge or the inspiration to begin creating human puppets…

His thoughts were interrupted as Deidara traipsed forward into the cave, soon walking off of the small inside shore onto the rocky floor. Sasori dismissed his ideating altogether as he followed behind the blonde into the vast cavern, looking around as he did so.

The red head was completely unaware that this cave would turn out to be the location of his second death…

"Should we take a short rest, un?" Deidara turned to Sasori, giving him a questioning look for a few seconds before returning to looking around the moderately dry cave. "That painkiller you gave me is starting to wear off, and my muscles are beginning to ache."

Sasori gave a sigh of annoyance, rolling Hiruko's eyes as he settled the puppet onto an empty stretch of even flooring. "Fine, but only for an hour; this mission is extremely important." Deidara pulled off his Akatsuki cloak with a sigh, slumping onto the floor with a moan of relief as he began to examine the bruises on his arms.

Most were caused by Sasori grabbing him tightly during their trip down the river, and they were painted both a sludgy purple and a sick green that was the colour of mould. Deidara frowned in irritation at the bruises, but he did not complain, just giving another sigh before looking over at Sasori, as if expecting something to happen.

The red head didn't leave Hiruko, but he dropped his chakra threads, leaning back to relax inside of the puppet with a sigh, before asking the obvious question that he had barely managed to hold in during the trip there. "Why did you volunteer to take down the One Tailed Jinchuriki, Brat?"

"I wish you would stop calling me that, un," Deidara gave him a blank look before switching to his usual smirk. "I know you better than you think I do, Danna. You and the Jinchuriki's mother were best friends, correct? I think it is quite obvious that you are against taking him down yourself; you wouldn't do something so heartless as to doom your best friend's child." He continued to grin and Sasori couldn't help but give an irritated sigh, "Now tell me a bit about the Jinchuriki, just so I know what I am up against, un."

Sasori gave a slight hum and opened Hiruko's hatch, stepping carefully out of the puppet to traipse over to Deidara, kneeling down in front of him. He took Deidara's arm and held his palm over the sickly bruises, proceeding to use his Tender Touch Technique to heal the inner wounds. The blonde made no objection, giving a sigh of relief as the ache began to ebb without the use of painkillers.

"The Jinchuriki's father was a man by the name of Takeo, better known as the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, while his mother was a girl by the name of Karura, a highly skilled - albeit not so intelligent - Shinobi…He was born prematurely, killing his mother, but Gaara managed to still survive. The Jinchuriki has two older siblings, the oldest being a girl by the name of Temari, and the middle child being a boy by the name of Kankuro…" He continued to recall memories that he had gained many years ago, before he had even become an Akatsuki member. "…That's all I know of his personal life…I'm not quite sure of his battle style though…We'll summon Zetsu and see if he has any information as I don't think there would be much worthy data to be found in our Akatsuki Bingo Book."

"Sounds good to me, un." Deidara shrugged as Sasori finished healing his arms, the red head straightening up as he finished. The blonde gave a slight frown at nothing in particular, before giving a slight sigh as he moved to lie down on the hard ground.

Sasori climbed into Hiruko once again, shutting the lid as he did so, proceeding then to summon Zetsu the way that Kakuzu had once long ago. Inside of the puppet the red head made several handsigns before redirecting the current through Hiruko's arm, placing the carapace's palm flat on the ground. Black ink markings formed around the hand and Sasori shuffled the marionette backwards several lurching paces, waiting for the eventual arrival of the plant Akatsuki member.

Zetsu arrived a few slow seconds later, looking slowly around the room for several seconds before turning his full attention to Sasori. "**You called?**"

"Yes," he wondered whether or not Zetsu knew that Hiruko was only a puppet, but then he realised that it was a stupid question. All of the Akatsuki were aware of Sasori's true identity, just not all had seen what he actually looked like, such as Zetsu and Hidan. "What information do you have on the One Tailed Jinchuriki?"

Zetsu looked at Sasori with a sharp gaze until he finally began to casually blurt out information on the Jinchuriki without a single moment of thought. "**Its name is Gaara, it is the Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure and specialises in abilities that control sand. On its back the Jinchuriki carries a gourd containing abnormally powerful sand that has been in its possession for so long that it has absorbed a portion of the Jinchuriki's chakra. The sand enables the ability of flight and its signature move is called 'Sand Coffin' in which the Jinchuriki forces the sand to crush its opponents.** Don't get caught in it at all costs." Sasori noted how even Zetsu did not refer to Gaara as a 'he', always deeming him either an 'it, or as 'Jinchuriki'.

Perhaps the red head should do the same, or else his own personal feelings could get in the way of the mission. Even though Deidara was the one who was to take Gaara down, Sasori still had power over his old best friend's son's fate…

"**It uses sand both defensively and offensively, so you will have to work out some way in order to get through his ultimate defence**…And that is all you really need to know." His other personality ended the debriefing with a slight, carefree shrug, "Anything else you need to know?"

"No," Sasori shook Hiruko's head slowly back and forth, "that is all that we need to know, thank you." Zetsu gave a nod, shooting Deidara a slight questioning look to which the blonde simply gave a shrug to, and the plant-man - without anything further delay - disappeared into the ground. Sasori watched him leave before giving a slight sigh, leaning back in the puppet in order to find a few moments of tranquillity, "Did you get that, Deidara?" He made a careful mental note to refer to the blonde constantly by his name, discarding the pet tag that he had given him long ago.

"Yeah, but don't worry Danna; his sand is nothing compared to the perfect formation of my artistic masterpieces." He gave a slight laugh of delight and Sasori noticed that Deidara did not refer to Gaara as an 'it' like the others had.

The blonde had absolutely no qualms in killing another person, and he didn't view him as being any different due to the fact that Gaara had a Bijuu inside of him.

"I'm going to beat him…So that you will finally be proud of me, un." Sasori gave a slight frown, wondering what was with the sudden need of the red head's approval. "You beat a Kazekage when you were…Twenty?" Hiruko's head nodded and the blonde continued without hindrance, "Exactly, and I am now nineteen years old; I'm not going to be in my prime for much longer, un. You took out the Third Kazekage, Orochimaru took out the Fourth Kazekage, and I will take out the Fifth Kazekage. You might not understand this, but it is my job to take him down…I need to continue on the tradition, un."

"Hey, what was that about going out of your prime?" The red head couldn't be bothered to shoot the blonde a glare using Hiruko's countenance, "I'm thirty-five and I'm still in my prime." Deidara simply gave a slight chuckle and the red head sighed in annoyance before thinking about something else of interest. Sasori frowned in thought, having just realised the fact that it really was an ongoing happening that the puppet and his long term Akatsuki partners killed Kazekages…Aside from Kurow, though she had never been given the opportunity.

_It was practically tradition…_

"I see…So that is the real reason why you wanted to capture the One Tail…But remember," the red head spoke in Hiruko's deep, stern, voice, "you are not to kill the Jinchuriki. That is for all of the Akatsuki to bear when we remove the Bijuu from his body…That is what will kill him, not you and your pitiful explosions."

Deidara gave a vocal sigh of annoyance, mumbling something incoherent, and then clearly stating, "Fucking bastard, can't let me even fucking dream…It is still considered _beating_ a Kazekage even if there is a delay in killing him, un…" The blonde mumbled further, but Sasori blocked the rough rasps from his mentality, shaking his head in Hiruko as he tried to obtain some ungraspable peace. "You'll be proud…"


	55. It Begins

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Five

It Begins

It was time for their mission to finally commence.

As soon as they were outside, the giant rock slowly moved from its place above the entrance, blocking the cave once more. Deidara had brought the paper tag and Sasori used chakra strings to attach it to the surface of the boulder, successfully setting up the Five-Seal Barrier. Once the first portion of their mission was complete they proceeded across the waters surface, and then used their chakra to walk vertically up the cliff face on the opposite side of the river, finding a natural path which cut through the forest easily.

"We're currently in the River Country," Sasori began to debrief the blonde as to the specifics of their location, "Sunagakure is approximately a one and a half days journey from here, and the same amount of time returning, meaning it will take a total of 3 days. When we return with the Jinchuriki, then the sealing will take at least three days as well…Though it may take longer than last time we sealed a Bijuu, as at that time we had all ten members as opposed to nine…"

Deidara gave a nod and a slight sound of understanding, looking around the forested area with little interest present on his countenance. "So this mission will take a total of six days, un…"

"It is a relief that the mission did not span for longer, as we are to meet up with Kabuto in sixteen days…" Sasori had carefully noted the date so that he had not forgotten it, and the time would be soon. "His Sleeper Jutsu has long since been disabled, and there is a high chance that he has turned traitorous against us. But I believe that it is worth going, as there is a chance that Orochimaru will make a 'surprise' appearance…"

"And then I'll be able to finally take him down for you, Danna, un!" Deidara smirked at him, but the look soon slipped into a reminiscent – too thoughtful - expression. "…Sixteen days, huh? So on the day after this mission is finished, when the date we meet Kabuto is only within ten days time…It will be our fifth anniversary of becoming partners in the Akatsuki…" There was genuine affection in his voice, and there seemed to be a feeling of solemnity about his expression, especially within his forget-me-not eyes. "…"

Sasori would never have thought that the blonde would have been his partner for two years, let alone five.

He truly believed that Deidara would have managed to off himself - or he would have tempted Sasori's deadly temper - by this point in time. And though he had tried the first on several occasions, and the second on so many more, he had lasted almost five years. "…You speak as if it is something of importance, Bra-" He quickly corrected himself, "Deidara…It is nothing to be so proud of; I have been in the Akatsuki for fifteen years - that is triple the amount of years you have been - but you don't see me going on about it. There are members who have been a part of the Akatsuki for over twenty years. Five years is nothing."

Deidara gave a sigh of what could be irritation and he slowly shook his head, looking away from the puppet. "Just when I'm up again, you kick me back down, un. You're too sadistic, Danna."

The natural path stopped abruptly and turned right once it reached another clear stream, twice as small as the previous rapid laced river, and Sasori stopped walking as soon as they reached the shore. "This is the last water source available until we leave the desert in three days time; we will take a short rest to fill up our canteens, and to get ready to enter the wasteland. We won't have a path anymore because we're headed in a forward direction." Sasori opened Hiruko's hatch, rummaging around in the compartments until he noticed the blonde wasn't retrieving his water bottle from the side pocket of his right clay pouch. "Well?"

Deidara blinked in surprise and quickly shook his head, escaping his daze. He turned to the red head and gave a smirk at him, "Sorry Danna; I lost track of reality." Sasori gave him a look that was initially concerned but it was disarmed by the blonde's expression. Despite the smirk, the red head could see the pain in the boy's forget-me-not eyes.

He was hurting.

Sasori knew for a fact that the blonde had an impressive pain threshold, but that just made it unknown to the red head just how much agony the blonde was enduring. He didn't have anymore pain killers to help him bear the hurt.

"My canteen is still full," the blonde gave a shrug, still smirking, "but I'll probably go find some more clay while I'm here, un. Plus while we walk I'll need to make some pre-made sculptures for quick initial attacks."

Sasori gave a nod and Deidara began to traipse along the riverside in pursuit of some clay deposits, leaving the red head alone with Hiruko. "Just don't decide to go for another swim!" The older male slowly shook his head from side to side, pulling out his medical pouch, opening it up to grab a small half-full bottle of water.

Sasori stood up and stepped out of Hiruko with a small sigh. He emptied the contents onto the grass and began to refill the canteen that was set aside for medical purposes such as cleaning wounds or in the case that the blonde ran out of water and desperately required some in order to live.

He filled the canister and then placed it back inside of the pouch, placing the bag back down into Hiruko before kneeling back down beside the river. He splashed some water on his face in order to clean a tad of grime from his sixteen-year-old countenance, before gazing at his reflection within the surface of the slowly flowing stream.

Sasori watched his ageless appearance apathetically, before curiosity got the better of him and he decided to transform into his human form. He performed the Jutsu and watched as his appearance shifted into that of one who was thirty-five years young…Or thirty-five years old.

His face was slimmer and better defined than in his younger form, and he was no longer beautiful, but he was still handsome. Sasori's hair was slightly longer and was a lighter tone of red than it had been previously, a hint of his aging.

He would be lucky if his brilliant crimson hair lasted to the time he was forty.

It was a common trait within his family, such as with his granny Chiyo who had lost her red locks before Sasori was even born, when she had been at the age of thirty-eight. His hair change would not be a gradual thing – it would be sudden.

The ends of his locks were already turning grey.

His eyes, however, were as big and brown as the day he had been born…Albeit a bit too tired.

Sasori stared into the familiar orbs, and then at the only half familiar countenance, before giving a soft sigh as he cancelled the Jutsu. He looked back into the reflection of his now sixteen-year-old looking puppet self, finding the look as almost comforting to gaze at.

He hated the thought of age.

The red head stood up as soon as he heard the blonde's approaching footsteps, and he looked over at the advancing blonde who was looking at his palms. Sasori noticed the swirl of the tongues, and he made a guess that Deidara was using the mouths to lap up any remainder of clay which cluttered his skin. The red head stepped inside of Hiruko and he sat down before giving Deidara a soft look of apprehension, "Are you done yet? I hate to be kept waiting…"

"Yeah," Deidara gave a smile and the tongues retreated back inside of each orifice, before spitting out the remainder of spare clay, "there was a good source quite near here, un." Sasori nodded and watched as the blonde gathered the damp material, adding it to the collection that was already inside of his two clay pouches.

"In that case, let's go. We have a long trip ahead of us and we will only stop if I deem it necessary. Here; these will prove to be some protection from the sun." Sasori revealed their two Akatsuki hats, complete with white paper tassels and a small bell. They had not been wearing them much lately as they were not always necessary, but for crossing the wasteland they were vital.

Sasori handed the blonde one of the hats and placed the other on top of Hiruko's head to hide his identity further in case anyone recognised the puppet as once being human. Deidara gave a nod, placing the hat on his head and the red head closed Hiruko's hatch with a slight snapping sound before immediately moving the puppet forward to walk across the surface of the steady stream.

-x-

Deidara gave a groan as soon as they entered the barren region known as the Land of Wind, the land where Sasori had been raised. "Oh my god, it fells like I just walked into a fucking fire, un." He lowered the rim of his hat to better shade his face, not faltering in their set walking pace, "How the hell do people live out here?"

"You get used to it, especially if you spend little time anywhere else." Sasori wondered what the desert air and heat would feel like after twenty years away from the wasteland, but he didn't bother with the act. "You will forget about the difference in less than half a day. Besides, it is almost night time; the temperature will drop to zero soon."

"…Oh joy…" Deidara gave a slight sigh and they continued to delve deeper into the barren unforgiving wasteland that held the key to their latest - and last - mission.

-x-

It was late at night, and they had been travelling for a day without stopping across the barren land that held only the occasional rocky outcrop or cacti plants. The night had been just as icy as the day had been hot. "There is going to be a sandstorm soon."

Deidara looked to the puppet as Sasori halted Hiruko's movements, also stopping beside him to look around with a raised eyebrow. "Huh? How can you tell, un?"

"I was raised here, Brat," Sasori shot the blonde a highly irritated look, the gaze maximised by the use of Hiruko's countenance, "I can tell when a sandstorm is coming." The red cloud hadn't even formed on the horizon, and yet the puppet knew that a storm was coming, and that it would be there soon. "…I know a place where we can wait it out, and we should be able to make it there by the time it starts."

Deidara frowned though without apprehension, knowing that Sasori knew best in such situations, "How long do you think the sandstorm will last?" Really he was simply asking whether it affected the time in which their mission took.

"It should not draw us too far off schedule," Sasori gave a shrug though Deidara couldn't see it from where the red head sat within Hiruko, "I know for a fact that at this time of the year the sandstorms shouldn't last for very long. I'd say a quarter of a day, give or take some extra time depending on the severity. We can always leave once it dies down enough."

-x-

They reached the red head's suggested location by the time the wind began to blow, whipping sand against their notorious cloaks, and for a moment Sasori thought that he had made a miscalculation.

The red head had intended to wait out the sandstorm in the safety of his old Den, but the known entrance of the tunnel which led to the lair was blocked by unnaturally placed rocks. Above the mass of roan coloured stone was a one-word statement, written in some unknown person's blood.

RUN.

There was a strong foreboding sense; something that yearned for the two Akatsuki members to turn tail and to find some other location to wait in safety for the storm to blow over. "Is this the place?"

"Yes," Sasori uncoiled Hiruko's tail without a second thought and immediately smashed a hole through the unsecured rock wall, knocking a way into the tunnel beyond, "this is the place."

The stones fell away, revealing the familiar passageway that led straight to Sasori's old secret den that he had carved out of the wall himself using his old puppets which had not been created out of human flesh. Before he had killed Daichi, before he had discovered the wonders of experimenting on living people, before he had gained a need to explore the world beyond the wasteland, before he had even heard of the name 'Akatsuki'.

He had made the cave when he had still been so stupidly naïve.

Sasori looked to the cliff walls which he and Karura had once carved pictures on, the drawings having now been worn away by the consistently extreme weather of the desert. Deidara took no heed of the warning written in old faded blood above the entrance, casually traipsing inside of the tunnel without any hindrance.

Sasori followed him inside just as the wind began to grow unbearably vicious, and they both continued until they were unable to see anything ahead of them due to the dark. They stopped and the red head made a few hand signs, "Chakra Release: Orb of Light." A ball of glowing chakra formed in the air, floating steadily to light the darkness ahead of them.

"Hey, drawings, un!" The blonde stooped and had to kneel in order to gain a better view of the carvings that Sasori had made when he had been only five years old, whilst he had been explaining the war to Karura. "Wow…These suck…"

The red head scoffed and shook Hiruko's head, "I drew them thirty years ago when I was only five years old, and I was explaining to Karura what nations we were fighting against in the war. It was the Second World War, though it was over before you were even born. Sunagakure was fighting Konohagakure, Amegakure, and also Iwagakure…" Sasori gave a slight grimace as he recalled the memory of calling the three nations 'Bad' while he had dubbed Sunagakure as being 'Good'.

So naïve!

The red head wanted to scratch a gash through the sloppy gourd symbol, but found that he couldn't be bothered. Deidara, on the other hand, appeared to read the red head's mind, drawing a kunai knife from the side pocket of his right clay pouch. "I'll fix it for you, Danna." He sliced a line through the Sunagakure symbol with one neat motion, before giving a pleased sigh in approval, "All better…"

Sasori didn't bother to even thank the blonde or to give him the satisfaction of praise, just giving a slight grunt with no particular emotion behind it. The blonde straightened up, stumbling slightly but regaining his balance in a single second with one graceful movement of grasping onto the wall. He turned to look at his hand, giving a slight gasp of confusion, before looking to the ground below his feet. "…There is dry blood…Everywhere…"

Sasori followed Deidara's gaze and noticed the marks of the old blood which lined the ground and was also partly splattered across the walls. "Oh, that is just from some of my old puppets. I wasn't strong back then and some of my victims were three times my size, so I had to drag them through this tunnel." The red head shrugged Hiruko's shoulders, and the blonde gave a hum of contentment before traipsing forwards, exploring further into the passageway. Sasori saw ahead that his genjutsu wall had long since worn off and there was a pitch black cavern beyond the tunnel.

They were nearing the old Den that the red head had carved out long ago.

Sasori began to wonder as to why anyone had bothered to bar the entrance of the passageway using rocks, and who had even gone so far as to write the ominous suggestion of 'RUN' in their own blood as a warning. The red head tried to ideate about what in the cave had caused such fear…

He had taken everything away when he had left Sunagakure except for some spare medicinal poisons, the desk, the water tank, and anything else that was pointless or nailed down…

Deidara entered the pitch black cavern before the ball of light managed to illuminate the darkness, and just as Sasori realised with sick suddenness the one thing that he had failed to take; one thing that anyone would be wise enough to fear.

The thing shot out immediately at its prey but Sasori reacted faster and sooner.

He used Hiruko's tail to knock the blonde across the dark room.

Sasori heard a loud clang that sounded like bars and another quieter clang of them closing. He had managed to send the blonde flying through the door of the old cell, successfully locking him inside and away from the enemy. Sasori entered the room and heard a sharp barking sound as the light abruptly lit up the room.

The creature folded in on itself submissively at the sight of the puppet as it recalled something from its distant past…Someone…

"Deidara, don't do ANYTHING!" He saw the blonde stiffen out of the corner of Hiruko's eye, halting in his forming of clay animals. One explosion and the cavern would come crashing down on top of all of them. The red head slowly opened Hiruko's top, much to the blonde's surprise, and he stepped out of the puppet slowly and non-threateningly. The creature shrivelled back slightly in confusion and fear, half knowing who the red head had once been and the other half knowing what he was now. "This is my old friend from when I was young…Her name is Asuko."

The plant twitched slightly at both the voice and the name, slightly unravelling her self. It had been fifteen years since he had last seen the plant, and yet Sasori had not aged a day. In fact, it had been twenty years since he had spent an extended period with the plant, and even from that time he had only physically aged by a year.

Asuko, named after Deidara's mother, had been Sasori's guard-dog, and she had protected the red head on numerous occasions.

Her poison was also deadly and potent; even one drop could be enough to kill. Sasori, when he had been human, had managed to build up immunity against the poison, and though it would most likely have worn off by this point in time, he was now a puppet.

The only part that could still be poisoned was his chest cavity, and he knew that Asuko's poison could not seep through clothes…Or at least it hadn't been able to when she had been small…


	56. Betrayal

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Six

Betrayal

The plant had grown significantly; to the point where the desk on which she had once been place was now shattered beneath and between her enormous roots that were burrowed in the tough rocky terrain. Her bulb was twice the size of Hiruko, and she took up a good half of the den, with her many vines splayed across the floor without bother. The red head took a step towards the plant, the latter going slightly into her self once more. "It's okay, Asuko," Sasori took another step forward, "it's just me; your master…"

The plant gave a slight whine, uncurling slightly and Sasori saw the two beady eyes which were on opposite sides of her large head. He remembered that when she had only been the size of his hand, the eyes had practically been dots, whereas now they were the size of his fist.

Sasori continued to walk slowly forward, making no sudden movements, and he made a slight motion towards the blonde who was still in the cell, "Don't hurt him, he is a friend…" For a moment he thought about telling the plant that Deidara was actually Karura, but he knew that Asuko would not fall for it. "It's just us…We're not going to hurt you…"

Sasori continued to cautiously approach the plant, taking slow steps, until he eventually reached the front of Asuko. He gradually placed his hand on the tip of the plant's nose, just above its close mouth. He spied unfamiliar daggered teeth lurking within the currently closed jaws. Asuko hesitated, before pressing her muzzle against the familiar and long missed touch.

She began to nuzzle against the red head's hand as he began to gently pet the plant, and Asuko began to purr in content. It was like the old naïve times, when Sasori had cared so much for his plant friend, and when he had treated Asuko so tenderly.

Those days of idiocy had long since _died_.

He pulled his familiar hands away from the plant and she gave a happy yapping sound, overjoyed at the prospect of her master's return and his company for a hopefully permanent time.

There was a clicking noise as the red head activated the fire jets in his hands.

The very palms that he had often affectionately petted the plant with when he had been young were now used to bring Asuko's doom.

There was a strong burst of flames from the metal jets, and it gave a scream in both agony and betrayal as the plant was suddenly burning to a crisp. The creature that had once been called a 'she' had now become an 'it'.

Bursts of fire shot from his palms, the flames swirling around the plant, burning it to a torrefied crisp. Sasori watched apathetically as it shrivelled at his betrayal, quickly turning into nothing but a pile of singed ashes. Its limbs and vines became abruptly limp, and Sasori thought he heard a slight whimper, but he decided that it was just a figment of his imagination.

The red head watched the ashen pile for a few second, before retracting his jets back into his hands and he turned to look at Deidara, who was still safe within the cell. The blonde was standing with one hand still sitting inside of his left clay pouch, having been unsure of listening to commonsense and the strange urge to protect the red head.

But it didn't matter now, Sasori was perfectly safe, and the nineteen year old removed his hand from the clay pouch. "What the fuck was that thing, un?"

The red head gave a slight shrug and a hum of thought before looking around the area, taking in the sight of his old Den with a new found interest. Though half of the Den was overtaken by Asuko's now burnt body and limp limbs, he could still make out the familiar surroundings of the cave, the dark lit by the ball of chakra which floated high in the air near the roof. There were still many holes in the walls, once having been concealed by a long since faded genjutsu. The clothes of his past victims were covered in dust and had many holes in the material.

While they had been protected from the weather and people, the insects had still managed to get at the material, slipping past Asuko's senses. There were some broken vials and some still full with some unknown liquid that Sasori had concocted long ago.

The red head slowly blinked his eyes and continued to look around, noticing familiar and unfamiliar blood stains that littered the walls and the floors. There was the old water tank, long since rusted beyond use, and the lights were not only broken, but most of them had been smashed. Glass was scattered across the ground in some sections, and on the wall was an old carving of three kids holding their hands, but their smiles could no longer be made out due to the many scratches of anger that had gone into destroying the stupid picture.

What gave him the most shock, however, was the series of bleached white bones which lay where they had fallen on the floor.

They were the bones of Asuko's victims; most were human though some obviously belonged to animals which had taken shelter within the artist's Den. The plant had long since stopped relying on insects for nourishment, and had taken to devouring any larger living creature that was unlucky enough to stumble upon her.

Sasori guessed that whoever had blocked the entrance - and had written the warning - had been trying to save others from facing the beast. "It was an old friend of mine from when I was younger. But it no longer mattered to me…The plant was called Asuko." Deidara blinked at the red head at the name, instantly knowing that it had been named after his mother.

Sasori gave the cavern one more look around before deciding to enter the cell where the blonde was currently located. The bars had been rusting and the lock of the door was long since broken, so he found no hindrance in entering the cage. Asuko had not been able to enter, or at least, it hadn't bothered to.

Inside was a perfect skeleton, with the hand positioned on its lap, still loosely clutching an old, rusted kunai knife, positioned where the person's gut used to be. A pool of dried blood surrounded the figure on the floor and partly on the wall, revealing their suicide. Sasori guessed that whoever it had been had managed to escape Asuko's initial wrath and had locked themselves in the cage, away from the plant's reach.

They had chosen to take their own life as opposed to making a run for the entrance. He had seen his companions die and he did not want to suffer the same agonising fate that had befallen them.

Deidara sat down on the opposite side of the cell to which the skeleton was, and the red head sat down next to him, noting the doll clutched in the blonde's hand. "You made this, un…" Though the doll was older than the blonde himself, he could notice the handiwork of the finely crafted - though now decaying - wood.

"Yes," Sasori gave a slight shrug as he recognised the doll, "I made it for my human guinea pig; she was quite young and I thought she deserved a bit of benevolence after surviving a year. In fact, she was still alive when I left the village…" Sasori recalled a time when the Third Kazekage had forbade him from becoming an ANBU Black Ops, and then the red head had had a breakdown.

He had ordered the young girl, Pakura, to kill him, and when she had refused, he had tried to turn her into a puppet…Sasori moved some chakra strings through the open door into Hiruko's still open body, drawing a single scroll from inside of it. Once it was held within his hand, the red head opened it and pulled out a single red candle, placing it on the ground. There was a puff of smoke and a small inkwell appeared out of no where, allowing Sasori to paint some quick markings on the ground around the crimson stick.

After a few seconds of thought he pulled out three other candles, though these were all coloured a pure white as opposed to the guilty red stick, and he meticulously placed the new candles amongst the markings. Sasori made several handsigns in order to initiate the Jutsu, and soon the seals around the candles began to glow with the red head's chakra. The candles all became spontaneously lit with a bright crimson flame, all of the flares appearing exactly the same. After a few seconds, however, they all began to grow individual.

The first white flame grew faint, before becoming extinguished completely, signalling that the spy's seal was broken. But Sasori had broken the Jutsu on that girl fifteen years ago, so it was no surprise. He turned to look at the other three candles. One flame was flickering vigorously, another was practically standing straight without hindrance, while the other of the red candle stick began to shrink. There was a groan, and both the first white stick and the red candle practically exploded, pieces of scented wax scattering across the floor.

Sasori blinked and looked quizzically at the disperse of candle pieces, a mix of both snow white and blood red, before frowning slightly to himself.

He pointed at the pale candle that held a vertical flame, "This spy's seal is still perfectly intact…" He moved to the candle which bore the flickering fire, "This Sleeper Agent's seal is either weakened, or he knows information that he shouldn't; most likely information concerning the Akatsuki…But the seal is still intact…" Deidara gave a slight nod, not really interested in the two candles which still stood, but rather the two which had been shattered to bits. Sasori decided not to let him wait in suspense for any longer, "The exploded candle sticks mean that the spy who possessed the seal is now deceased…The white stick; its flame went out before it burst, as I had broken the Jutsu fifteen or so years ago when I recovered the Third Kazekage."

"What about the red candle?" The blonde tilted his head in curiosity, his hair moving to uncover his other forget-me-not eye which was not currently covered by his eye-scope, "Isn't that the important one, un? It didn't go out right away…"

"Pakura's? No it didn't go out," Sasori carefully clarified, "but it did dramatically dim…That means that the seal was partially broken, so I'm going to guess that either she or someone else managed to break it, or at least tried to…She most likely was within the 49% of those who would go insane if I didn't personally break the seal…I'm going to make a guess and say that she probably gained suicidal tendencies…Perhaps even homicidal…"

He shrugged at the close analysis and extinguished the other two candles before putting them away inside of the scrolls, not even bothering to try and pick up all of the scattered pieces of the other scented sticks, leaving them to sentimentally rest amongst the dust and dirt of his den.

He stood and exited the cell, returning the scroll to the compartment of Hiruko in which he had taken it from, not really knowing what to think at the discovery of Pakura's death. That meant that the only two who remained breathing from his childhood were Yashamaru and Chiyo…At least, _assuming_ that they _were _still alive…

"So…Is there any explanation as to why you named the plant after my mother, un?" The blond asked the question quite casually with a hint of both curiosity and sarcasm. Sasori frowned slightly at Deidara before recalling the reason why he had named the Venus flytrap 'Asuko' after all…

"I made a promise to her…" Sasori frowned deeper as he tried hard to remember what it was that he had said exactly, "…But…I can't quite recollect what it was I promised her…" The red head relaxed his facial appearance so that he was no longer frowning, and he hummed a few notes from a tune he could recall from memory, before singing the words quietly. "You should not have a made a promise that you could not keep, so I will now take your son for my name is Nimble-Still-Creep~…" Deidara gave him an utterly confused expression and Sasori simply shrugged, "It is from an old fairy-tale I learnt when I was young." The red head faintly recalled a book of fairy-tales that he had once bought - something about the Woods…

"Of course I know the tale of Nimble-Still-Creep; I think everyone in the world knows that story." Deidara gave a shrug, "The woman can't guess the guy's name, so he ends up killing her and taking her son as payment for turning chakra into gold so that she would marry the Kage. He also took her bracelet as previous payment. The moral of the story is to not make promises that you can't keep, un. But I'm just confused as to why the hell you just started singing it now…"

The red head placed the doll onto the ground apathetically before giving a slight shrug of no apparent emotion, "I can remember faintly that when I met her, we mentioned the story...I can't remember the context, but-" Sasori stopped suddenly as something abruptly connected inside of his mind…Sasori had given his bracelet to Asuko, but through her son, Deidara, he had gotten it back…Wait…THE BRACELET! The red head looked to his wrist, and noticed that the series of bands were not there. He abruptly stood up, much to Deidara's surprise, and stumbled out of the cell to where Hiruko still waited for attention. He climbed inside and began to both clumsily and meticulously sort through the pockets, searching, and eventually finding. "…"

He felt relief as he recovered the three bracelets. Sasori sighed and put them onto his wrist before sealing Hiruko inside of a scroll, and then proceeding to seal the scroll into his left Akatsuki sleeve. "What's up, Danna?"

"Nothing," he gave a sigh, "I just thought for a moment that I had lost my bracelets." He moved back into the cell and sat down next to the blonde, showing them to him, "But all three are here and accounted for so I have nothing to worry about."

"…Bracelets?" Sasori looked to the blonde who was frowning at him in confusion, and in what could have been subconscious disappointment. "…I gave you my mother's bracelet…" His brows creased further in deep thought as he tried to recall the missing memory, the recollection that should have been there - that had been there not so long ago - but had now been pulled out of his reach by an almost unbreakable wall. "…I gave it to you for some reason…But…Why did I give it to you, un? We…We made…A…Deal?…FUCK!"

Deidara cried out as he cringed in agony, curling into a ball as he instinctively grabbed his head to try and ease the ache, but it would not go.

The red head snapped to attention, kneeling next to the blonde with his mind racing to try and find a solution, some way of stopping Deidara's pain. Painkillers? No, he was out of painkillers…His Tender Touch Technique, or any other healing Jutsu, were of absolutely no help…Removing the needle was completely out of the question; there was no way that he was going to risk it with the rate of only 2% that he would survive completely unaffected.

He sat down and pulled Deidara onto his lap, wrapping his cold arms around the blonde to try and comfort him, to take his mind off of the agonizing pain. Sasori began to stroke the nineteen year old's hair, holding his shaking form tightly and trying to block out the blonde's echoes of agony.

"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, UN?" Deidara began to beat his head against Sasori's wood chest in an effort to forget about his internal agony, but Sasori quickly stopped him, holding onto the blonde tighter.

"I've warned you plenty of times to not try to remember, but you just don't listen to me." The red head scoffed and gripped tightly onto the boy's blonde locks, trying to calm Deidara down and to stop him from hurting himself. "So don't place the blame on me. It is your own fault that I used the Jutsu anyway; you should never have called us 'Lovers'."

The boy's body abruptly stilled and he drew a sharp gasp at the word as a forgotten memory tried to form within his mind, but it was barred by a wall far more powerful. He abruptly gave a cry of utter pain, burying his head in crook of Sasori's neck, his body shaking, wracked with burning agony.

The red head gave an annoyed frown, pulling the blonde away from his body so that he skidded across the ground, almost knocking the nearby skeleton as he went. Sasori made several handsigns to activate a Jutsu that he had performed hundreds of times before. His body abruptly altered into flesh. Deidara stared at him, confused as to the reason for this change, but he soon gave another agonized groan of pain, and would have changed positions into a ball, but he was stopped by the red head grabbing him.

Sasori pulled him close and pressed their lips together harshly, shoving him down against the floor of the cell, pulling away for a few brief seconds, "I'll just have to take your mind off of the pain my self." The red head insensitively pressed their lips back together and immediately began to invade the distracted nineteen year old's mouth in an effort to make Deidara forget about his agony that was the red head's fault.


	57. Future Promises

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Future Promises

"I'll just have to take your mind off of the pain my self." The red head insensitively pressed their lips back together and immediately began to invade the distracted nineteen year old's mouth in an effort to make Deidara forget about his pain.

It began to work as the blonde recalled their previous making out sessions that had been interrupted by Pein not too long ago, the memory as lucid as water and easy to grasp without a wall blocking it out. For a few seconds he began to glide his tongue along Sasori's, but after a few moments he stopped altogether, allowing the red head full access to his facial orifice.

Sasori, sensing the improvement, proceeded with the temporary effort to make the boy give up on hurting himself by continuously battering his mind against the nebulous wall inside of his head.

Deidara moaned into his mouth, gulling Sasori to continue and improve his passionless efforts, oblivious yet yearning for something more than just pitiful kissing. The red head allowed him self to be tempted as he leaned back, pulling the blonde along with him until they reached the wall on the opposite side to which the skeleton sat. Sasori leaned against the cell wall with Deidara sitting in his lap, their lips still connected within a desperate kiss.

The red head's hands moved to undo the blonde's cloak, sliding it off of the boy's shoulders to reveal his figure below, with his torso mostly covered with his revealing fishnet shirt. It was actually supposed to be worn by a female as it had cloth over the breast area, but Deidara wore it in order to hide his chest mouth and the seal that Sasori had marked around the orifice five years ago.

The blonde finished Sasori's task off, pulling his cloak off up and then tossing it aside with little interest, shifting on the red head's lap into a slightly more comfortable position, smirking daringly up at the older male. "I'll blow you if you blow me."

Sasori blinked at the blonde before softening his gaze, beginning to undo his own cloak in answer, though he was not quick enough for Deidara, as after only several seconds the blonde practically ripped the material off of him to reveal the red head's chest. Deidara immediately leaned downwards to the hem of Sasori's pants, pulling them partly downwards to reveal his already semi-hard length.

The blonde wrapped his hand around the base of the shaft, bringing it to his mouth, licking the tip of it with his tongue. Sasori gripped the blonde's hair, impatiently nudging his face forward to demand that he give up the stupid urge to tease, and Deidara decided to agree. The boy firstly took in the head, slowly sucking while gradually taking more of Sasori into his mouth, but still it wasn't enough for the red head, forcing Deidara's head down to take as much of him in as possible. The blonde stiffened as he braced himself, but slowly relaxed as he adjusted to the felling of Sasori's length positioned halfway down his throat.

He began to suck on the length, bobbing his head slowly as he gripped his hands tightly within the folds of Sasori's pants, closing his eyes in order to concentrate on his ministrations. The older male arched his hips up slightly as he leaned his head back against the cave wall, loosening his grip in a form of what could have been praise, gently massaging his scalp faintly. Deidara noticed the approval and sucked even harder on the red head's length, taking as much in as possible without managing to suffocate.

Sasori leaned his head back further closing his eyes and arching his hips further as he prepared for climax, bringing his other hand to grip in the blonde's hair with the other. The red head gave a slight groan as he finally released into Deidara's mouth, giving a sigh of relief as he did so. The boy moaned against Sasori's length as the hot cum filled his mouth, part of it seeping down the back of his throat, as did the rest once he swallowed it. Deidara sucked on the red head's length eagerly, trying to acquire any last traces of neglected seed, before pulling away, smirking up at Sasori as the red head let go of his hair. "My turn, un."

Sasori blinked superiorly down at the blonde before giving a slight nod, pushing the boy downwards to lie on his back, the older leaning over him. He pulled Deidara's shirt off to reveal the soft flesh of his torso along with the dark markings of the seal and the thick stitches which locked the mouth tightly shut.

Gazing at the intricate design, the red head couldn't help but recall the fact that the markings would no longer keep the stitches from being removed if Sasori were to die…

This then made him remember that if he were to die, the seal that he had placed within the boy's mind would also become undone due to the imperfect position, though the first needle would remain.

Sasori knew that if he were to die, then Deidara would not be slow in following him to the grave. Even if it didn't kill him, there was an extremely high chance that the blonde would go insane, and with the seal over his mouth broken, he would immediately blow himself up.

…Or would he?

How long would it take for the blonde to lose it? Would the seal break right away? Would his last lucid moment pass at the same time, or would it be a gradual process? What if he was a part of the two percent that would survive without losing his mind?

He would still probably blow himself up as well, even if he did have his wits.

Sasori moved his mouth down to the stitches and ran his tongue along the line of the mouth, feeling it quiver with prolonged need. It remembered.

The red head lapped at the sensitive skin around the flesh, listening to the blonde give a slight moan, raising his chest partly into the air. Sasori moved down to the boy's lower region, pulling both his pants and boxers off in one fluid motion, revealing Deidara's arousal. He took no time to tease him further, immediately taking all of the length inside of his mouth, sucking half-heartedly.

Sasori was not one who enjoyed giving blowjobs.

Deidara moaned loudly, moving his hands to grip at the red head's hair while bucking his hips into Sasori's mouth. The older male frowned slightly in annoyance and roughly dug his fingers into the blonde's hips in order to hold him down, closing his eyes in concentration. Sasori sucked harder on Deidara's shaft, wanting to get it over and done with so that they could move onto some hard sex.

The blonde moaned and tried to arch his hips but the red head simply tightened his grip with enough force to bruise. Deidara gave a vocal gasp as he released inside of the older male's mouth, and Sasori couldn't help but cringe in disgust, pulling his facial orifice away from the length. He spat the seed out across the floor, not wanting to swallow a single drop.

Of course Sasori had no sense of taste, but he still did not care to consume something so disgusting.

Deidara gave a sigh of relief, but his serenity was disrupted by Sasori pulling the blonde back into his lap, connecting their lips in another kiss to which the naked nineteen year old responded to immediately. The red head ran his hands up and down the blonde's sides, moving his mouth to tease the sensitive areas of the boy's neck. Deidara arched his torso against Sasori's bare chest, moving into the touch while giving slight moans of approval, and the red head moved his hand to the blonde's mouth.

"Suck, or else your first time is going to be raw." Even though it wasn't their first time in reality, to the blonde it would seem to be, so Sasori decided to play along. Let the boy think what he wants, anything to avoid having to deal with him suffering agonizing pain.

Deidara took the digits inside of his mouth without any hindrance, sucking on the three fingers, moaning around them as Sasori continued to suck on his neck. One of the blonde's hands slid down to the red head's already semi-hard member, and the tongue of his palm's mouth began to slide up and down the shaft, trying to make him fully hard again.

Sasori groaned and bit down hard on the blonde's neck, resulting in Deidara giving a cry against the red head's fingers, arching his body into the pain. The older male smirked against his neck before pulling away, removing his digits from the blonde's mouth, wrapping his other arm around Deidara as he brought his fingers to the boy's entrance.

Deidara pressed back against the digits, rocking his hips in an effort to make the red head hurry up. Sasori's eyes narrowed sadistically at the blonde's impatience and he decided not to keep him waiting any longer, sliding one finger inside of his heat. Deidara gave a low moan, arching his hips into the air and bringing both of his arms to wrap around the red head's neck.

Since they hadn't had sex in a while, Sasori decided to fully prepare the Brat so that he would not be pained, especially considering that they were on a highly important mission.

Sasori slid his second finger inside of the blonde to partner the first, beginning to make scissoring motions in order to stretch Deidara further. After a few stretches he purposely rammed his digits into the blonde's prostate gland, which resulted in Deidara giving a surprised cry of pleasure, throwing his head back, hair waving as he did so. Sasori smirked and inserted his third finger to join the other two and he once more gave them a thrust upwards to hit the blonde's sweet spot, unleashing anther cry from Deidara's throat.

After a few more finger fucking thrusts, Sasori removed his digits, wrapping his arm around the blonde to join the other. He lifted Deidara's hips up into the air, positioning the boy's entrance over the tip of his hard length.

"Ready?" The blonde, as impatient as ever, did not even bother to verbally respond. He plunged his hips downwards, giving an extra loud cry as he impaled himself on the red head's length, throwing his head back in both pain and pleasure.

Sasori tightened his grip around the blonde's waist, burying his head in the crook of Deidara's neck while giving a groan of pleasure as he was reminded of just how pleasurable it was to fuck the blonde. The boy had also grown tighter over their withdrawal, and Sasori was finding it actually somewhat difficult to wait for the blonde to adjust. He just wanted to fuck him senseless already, but the red head knew that he would have to wait for the boy to get used to his member.

Deidara gave a low moan, leaning back slightly, bucking his hips before moved back forward. He buried his face in the side of Sasori's neck, his hot breath running seductively across the red head's sensitive skin. "Fuck, I think I wanna quit the Akatsuki, un…I wanna be a slut instead…"

"If you did," Sasori managed to hold onto his wits enough for the comment, "then I would tattoo a nice target on your butt that'll read 'Easy'…If you have enough strength to make a stupid remark like that," the red head paused as he lift Deidara's hips midway up the length of his dick, "then I think you have adjusted perfectly fine." Sasori, using all of his strength, slammed the boy down hard onto his shaft, unfortunately missing the blonde's prostate, but managing to brush against it.

Deidara gave a shuddering moan, a sound that was absolute music to the red head's ears. He had genuinely missed the noise of the boy's pleasure.

The red had pulled him back up slowly before suddenly slamming the blonde back down. Deidara gave a blissful cry, arching his chest as he threw his head back due to the intense pleasure of the red head ramming into his sweet spot dead centre. Sasori couldn't help but give a sadistic smirk at listening to the cry that the blonde gave, and he shuddered slightly.

The red head's grip around the boy's waist grew tighter and he continued to lift the blonde up into the air, only to bring him crashing back down on his shaft, continuously slamming into the boy's prostate gland. Deidara's cries echoed throughout the Den, resounding and bouncing off of the walls that Sasori had carved out himself long before the blonde had even been born.

An entire life time ago.

Sasori pulled the blonde's countenance from the crook of his neck, instead moving his own mouth to tease at the sensitive skin of Deidara's chest orifice, running his tongue along and between both the thick stitches and the slight gaps in-between. The mouth leaned against his touch and the blonde's cries escalated, burying his hands in the red head's hair, pressing him further against the chest orifice, continuing to bounce his hips up and down. Sasori gave a satisfied smirk as he slid his tongue into the chest mouth, closing his eyes in concentration, feeling the chest orifice's tongue begin to move against his own.

After a few minutes of making out with the odd orifice, Sasori pulled away, removing the blonde's hands from his hair. The red head decided that it was time that he used the oddities of the blonde to his own advantage and pleasure.

The red head firstly moved one down to the boy's leaking length, positioning the mouth at the very tip of Deidara's need. It seemed to know what to do as it opened, taking in the top of the blonde's member, swirling its tongue around the tip. Sasori brought the other hand to his own neck, giving a groan of pleasure at the feeling of the blonde bouncing on his lap and the hand mouth licking and nipping at the extra sensitive flesh at the base of his neck.

Deidara had been crying out in bliss the entire time, with these noises growing ever louder, especially when his hand mouth began to suck on the top of his length. He bucked his hips high in the air, and Sasori couldn't help but give yet another smirk at just how vulnerable Deidara was to his ministrations. He really was the red head's favourite puppet. And he really did lo-

Sasori's thoughts were interrupted by the blonde connecting their lips in a desperate kiss, cries and moans falling thickly into the red head's mouth. The older male vigorously kissed back, fuelled by adrenalin as he began to speed up his thrusts, making sure to aim directly for the boy's sweet spot dead centre. Deidara moaned loudly into the red head's mouth, bucking his hips and desperately speeding up the ministrations of both of his hands.

Sasori could tell that they were both nearing their climax, and he wrenched Deidara's hand away from his length, replacing the pleasure with his own hand. The red head began to pump the blonde in time with his hard thrusts, resulting in the boy having to pull their lips apart so that he could cry out loudly in pleasure. Sasori gave a groan as he finally came inside of the blonde's body, his body shuddering from exertion.

He stopped thrusting but continued to pump the blonde's shaft, waiting for the boy to join him in the euphoric feeling. Deidara gave a half scream as he finally reached his limit, releasing on Sasori's chest, arching his body and throwing back his head in pleasure as he did so.

They both stilled as they rode out the pleasure of their release, the only movement being the heavy rise and fall of their chests as they tried to regulate their breathing. After a few minutes of nothing else, the blonde finally moved, leaning forwards to bury his head in the crook of Sasori's neck, his hand slipping down from the red head's neck to his chest, cleaning the white seed from Sasori by lapping it up using the hand's mouth. He gave a slight chuckle, nuzzling his head deeper into the crook of the older male's neck, "Why the fuck is that our first time having sex? We've been missing out on so much fun these past five years, Danna~"

Sasori rolled his eyes and softened his grip on the blonde, lifting Deidara's hips upwards to pull his length from the boy's heat. Deidara gave a slight groan as he did so, either in pain or disappointment, though he made no other vocal objections. "Like hell I would want to sleep with you that often, Deidara."

The blonde gave a slight chuckle as he moved into a slightly more comfortable position, sitting sideways on the red head's lap. His legs were folded and lying on Sasori's left side, with his head buried in the older male's neck and one hand pressed against his chest. "Hey Danna...Can we do this again soon, un? Like, after we finish this mission?"

Sasori ran his hand through the blonde boy's hair, pretending to need a few thoughtful moments of thought, though in reality he already knew the answer. "Hmmm...I guess it wouldn't hurt." He shrugged and wrapped his arms around the blonde, nuzzling the top of his head, trying to satisfy a certain craving to touch the boy as much as possible. "But we'll have to set some rules up."

Deidara gave a groan, pressing closer to the red head for warmth, due to fact that he was both naked and the cave was cold. "Why you gotta go and ruin a good thing, un? Fine then, what rules?"

Sasori gave a slight hum, but this was followed by a yawn once he realized how tired he was, and Deidara must have been just as exhausted if not more. "Later," he leaned over and grabbed his Akatsuki cloak, draping it over the two of them before giving yet another yawn, "after the mission is over; we'll set up The Deal once the mission is over."

Sasori lay down with the blonde next to him, holding him close with the cloak wrapped tightly around their bodies. Deidara nuzzled his face into the crook of Sasori's neck, finding a comfortable position before giving a sigh of content. "Hey Danna," Sasori gave a questioning noise, "would you get mad if I told you something that I just realized, un?"

Sasori gave a sigh and rolled his eyes before closing the pair of muddy brown orbs, "I already know that you 'love' me, so no; I wouldn't get mad for you telling me something that I am already aware of. And before you even ask the reason on how I know - I'm just psychic."

Deidara scoffed slightly but spoke no more on the subject, nuzzling his face deeper into the red head's neck, "Yay, now I have a new incentive to live~...Thanks, Danna...Without you, I think that I would just...Give up on life..." Sasori simply gave a hum of disinterest, not really aware of the irony of which the blonde spoke.

-o-

We never had sex again.

I never even got around to restating the rules I had set previously...I still wonder whether it was really the seal breaking that drove him to suicide, or if it was my death that made him come to the conclusion.

Whatever it was, if I had been around he would never have resorted to blowing himself up; he would not have wasted his life on trying to eliminate someone so insignificant as Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi's younger brother...

…Or perhaps he would have...

I'll never know, anyway, because I was dead by then.

Yes…By that time, I was alone in that dark world of outlines.

No; I would have preferred to have been alone.

I was with that stupid naive outlined runt; he was always fucking crying…Always...What a little insistent _bitch._


	58. Numbness

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Numbness

Sasori had woken up before the blonde, managing to stand without disturbing the boy from his sleep, unknowing that it would be their very last night spent like this. The red head cancelled his Human Jutsu after trying to take in the scent of the cave, having failed of course due to his lack of smelling capabilities.

Sasori pulled his Akatsuki uniform off of the blonde, replacing it over his body, buttoning it up and grabbing Deidara's cloak to drape it over the slumbering figure.

The red head - now having finished dressing - stepped out of the cell and looked around the area with little care, looking at the top of the cave to the dimmed orb of chakra. He reactivated the Jutsu, successfully brightening the ball to illuminate the Den better, giving him an improved view. Asuko's remains spread over half of the cave.

The bones of her victim were as white as snow, with old splatters of dried blood littering the floor and the walls.

Sasori moved to examine the compartments in the wall, the genjutsu that had blocked the gaps having warn off long ago. All of the clothing that the red head had taken from his victims was moth eaten, and practically useless. Sasori moved onto the next gap, it contained nothing but smashed vials.

Sasori recognised them as old samples of Asuko's deadly poison and his old paralysing concoction, but all of the liquid had dried up. One of the vials was missing from the rack; Sasori had taken it for use when he had taken down the Third Kazekage.

The red head gave little interest towards the remains and he moved to the next gap in the wall. It contained some rusty tools that had not been used for decades, along with a few bowls that he had often used when he was young. The next hole in the wall was empty, though the next one held some more vials. Most of the vials were broken, except for one; it was still completely full with the clear water-like liquid…

It had been an antidote for a poison that he had made when he had been thirteen years old, meaning that the liquid within the vial was roughly twenty-two years ago…

Sasori pulled the test-tube from the rotting rack, shaking it slightly before examining the contents of the glass. He wondered if it still worked as a strong pain killer, or if age had weakened its potency…or increased it…

The red head placed the vial back down in the rack, perambulating around the Den. Sasori flicked the light switch several times, not surprised by the fact that the lights remained dark. He gave a sigh and continued to explore, soon reaching the remains of Asuko. The plant's ruined body covered the entirety of the table; the roots were punctured through the rotten wood as if it were no more than a thin piece of paper.

The stool that Sasori had been able to sit on - even on his last time visiting fifteen years ago - now lay in pieces on the ground, smashed to bits and mixed with a pile of regurgitated bones. The red head gave a slightly repulsed expression as it finally sunk in that his once dear Asuko had grown to such a state that it had ended up eating people. He looked away from the remains of the _thing_, instead traipsing through the entrance into the long tunnel that eventually led to the outside world.

As he went the orb of light followed him, illuminating the walls and allowing him to make out the various carvings. Some were drawn by him, some by Karura, and several others by people who had taken shelter within the cave, being smart enough not to travel into its dark depths. There were pictures of birds, the sun, crappy carvings of people that had once been of importance, stupid drawings as such.

There were drawings of animals, insects and reptiles. There were stick figures and poorly drawn carvings which the Sunagakure duo of Sasori and Karura had done when they first found the hidey-hole. Near the end of the cave were the village symbols which had all been slashed, now including the Sunagakure gourd. On the wall was carved 'Sasori was Here', 'Karura was Here' and 'Daichi was Here also' in sloppy strokes that were quite difficult to distinguish unless one had already known what their intent was.

The red head scoffed at the petty attempts at art, not really caring as to whom the artist was; whether it was he, Karura, Daichi or some other sucker. He finally reached the end of the tunnel, gazing out to see that the sand storm was still blowing, though he could tell that it would end soon. The sun would be setting soon as well, and the sky would definitely be dark by the time they reacher Sunagakure.

Sasori stared at the angry wasteland for a few seconds, detecting slight hints that proved the storm was indeed lessening, and he turned back into the tunnel.

The red head reached the cave and then the cell, the ball of light once again repositioning itself at the top of the Den, illuminating the entire space. Sasori kneeled next to the sleeping blonde, noting the content expression which he wore for several seconds before roughly shaking him. Deidara mumbled something that could have been an excuse, yearning to continue with his slumber, but Sasori would give him no peace.

He grabbed the blonde by the ponytail and gave his hair a good hard yank, successfully making Deidara wake up. He yelped and struggled away from the red head, giving him a hard glare as he quickly sat up, though he hissed with pain as he did so. "Fuck," the blonde gave an odd expression that could have been the offspring between a smirk and a grimace, "you did a number on my ass, un."

Well, it had been a while since they had last had sex; it was only natural that the blonde would feel some pain afterwards. "Stop complaining; the sandstorm is ending soon and we are leaving as soon as it does."

Deidara rolled his eyes and stood up, his cloak dropping to the ground to reveal his naked form. Sasori looked over him without interest, having seen the boy's body so many times before. He moved to pick up the blonde's clothes, holding them out to Deidara. The nineteen year old took the uniform with a smirk and a wink before moving to get dressed.

Sasori traipsed back out of the cell, activating the seal within his left sleeve. A scroll dropped into his hand. The red head unrolled it and summoned his third favourite puppet from inside of it, rolling the scroll backup and resealing it into his sleeve. Sasori traipsed over to Hiruko, opening the marionette and stepping inside of it.

"My Danna," Deidara walked out of the cell, fully dressed at last, "all these years and I thought that I knew you! And it turns out that all along you were actually a sexual pervert! Here I thought that I would be the one to end up asking for sex, but in the end it turns out that it was you who was desperate, un!" He laughed loudly and gave an irritating twirl before taking in the sight of the Den, stopping to gaze specifically at the remains of the plant for several seconds, before turning back to smirk at the red head.

"Whatever," Sasori scoffed, deciding not to correct the idiot, lest he cause him more pain…but Deidara appeared to have other intentions. The blonde gave a thoughtful expression, complete with slightly pursed lips and a deep frown.

"…" The boy's eyes suddenly widened in realisation, "THAT'S _**IT**_! THAT'S WHAT YOU MADE ME FORGET, UN!" He stared at Sasori like a deer in headlights for a few moments before he gave a yelp and crumpled to the ground in agony.

Oh not again…

The red head gave a sigh - no longer alarmed – as he stepped out of Hiruko and traipsing over to one of the gaps within the cave wall. He carefully selected the only vial that was still in tact, moving back over to Hiruko to pull out an empty syringe. The red head stuck the needle point into the liquid, filling up the medical utensil with the painkiller that he had made before the blonde was even born, hoping that it still worked.

Sasori turned and knelt next to the pained boy, pulling up Deidara's sleeve until he revealed his bicep. The blonde didn't even notice, too busy clutching his head in agony to realise the red head's intentions.

He quickly jabbed the needle into a vein, injecting the contents of the syringe into Deidara's bloodstream, removing the needle after he had finished. He rubbed the blonde's bicep to help it circulate quicker before straightening up.

Sasori placed the empty vial back into the gap, and he also placed the used syringe in the crevice as well since he could not be bothered sterilizing it once more for future use. "Don't worry; if the poison still works then your body should be going numb within a few minutes…Worst outcome, it might kill you, but the chance of that happening is only 5%...Well, with some generous rounding at least."

Deidara didn't even appear to hear the red head, continuing to slowly rock back and forth - still clutching his aching head - and Sasori did not even want to imagine how much it hurt if it made such an impression on the blonde with his extremely high pain threshold.

The red head gave a sigh and traipsed over to Hiruko, taking a seat inside of the puppet in order to wait for the blonde to react to the poison in some way. Slowly the boy stopped rocking and shuddering, his faint sounds of agony dying down to nothing, and he slowly uncurled from the ball he had made with his body. He blinked at Sasori, before looking down at his arm with a frown, pinching the skin on the back of his hand. "…My body has gone numb, un…"

"Good," Sasori was faintly relieved that the boy was no longer experiencing utter agony, "that means that it is working…I don't know how long the effects will last, but they shouldn't effect your capturing the Jinchuriki, except that you might want to stay aware of yourself. You could probably lose a limb and not notice with that stuff running through your veins…"

Sasori gave an ironic shrug and was about the shut the hatch of Hiruko, before the blonde stopped him, "So how many times did we have sex, un?" Deidara was quiet for a few seconds as if to see if he experienced any pain, and when he did not he continued, "How old was I when we started having it? And why did you make me forget?"

The red head gave Deidara a slow emotionless blink, purposely keeping his facial features stoic, "We only had sex once; you were eighteen years old."

The blonde knew nothing, so whatever Sasori said would have to be the truth, even if it was a lie.

"I made you forget because you wouldn't shut up about it; you kept going on and on all the time about how you had managed to persuade Sasori of the Red Sand into having sex with you, when in reality I only slept with you to get your mother's bracelet. Still you went on like it was the greatest achievement in the history of the world…Then you had the gall to actually call us 'Lovers' despite the fact that we had only had sex once and that I had not fucked you due to any emotion which is demonstrated by people who truly would be considered 'Lovers'…You could not handle the knowledge that you had just been _used_, so you tried to morph the story to fit your own wishes, picturing me as the one who was desperate for sex. You were not mature enough, so I got rid of the memory so that you would stop pestering me and so that we could continue with our lives."

Deidara blinked at the red head before giving a slight frown, but despite the fact that it was not the truth, it still did sound like something the blonde would do. It was sort of true anyway, at least concerning the first time that they had had sex, though Deidara had been no where near as irritating as Sasori had just made him out to be. "…Well…Why did you have sex with me just then, un? Are you going to make me forget again? Are we really going to be able to have sex again in the future?" Deidara loved to play the game twenty-fucking-billion questions.

The red head continued to show absolutely no emotion within his countenance, continuing his calm disposition with little interest evident, "You were in pain, so I did the only thing that I knew would succeed in distracting you. No, I won't make you forget as long as you don't repeat your faults of previous, and the same goes with sex in the future. We will as long as you do not turn into an arrogant _bitch_ who believes that they actually had the ability to seduce Sasori of the Red Sand - the world's most feared and profound puppet master - to their will. Got it?" Deidara frowned subtly but gave a nod, knowing that Sasori was stubborn, so even if what he was saying was not the truth, he would never say any other story in answer. "There are some rules and some terms though, but we do not have time for them right now. We will set them after the mission is complete."

Deidara gave a nod and a smirk before getting to his feet with little hassle, unable to feel any sensation whatsoever as he did so. "Wow; this poison must be strong…" He chuckled slightly before straightening fully, grinning widely at the red head, "After the mission is complete? I can't wait, un~ Let's get moving then; the quicker we get to Sunagakure, the sooner we capture this Gaara-person, the sooner we get to the cave, the sooner we seal the Jinchuriki, the sooner you set the rules, the sooner we get to have sex again, un! Let's go!"

Sasori rolled his eyes slightly, but found him self slightly pleased by the blonde's new motivation and enthusiasm, having actually missed the boy's desire to continue living. "Fine then," Sasori shut Hiruko's top, taking control over the puppet's consciousness automatically as he did so, "I like your attitude…Sort of…Let's go."

The blonde smirked widely in a way that he had not for several months - ever since he had inserted the needle into his brain - though there was still a slight apprehension behind his expression. He did not believe what Sasori said, or at least, he did not want to believe it. His subconscious knew that the red head was lying, but his mind could not delve into the unreachable depths, so all he could do was believe the red head's deceit. "ONWARDS!"

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and turned the puppet towards the tunnel, lumbering forward with the same lurching motion that Hiruko had possessed ever since he had made him twenty years ago inside of this very cave. It would be the last time that Sasori would ever step foot within the construct which he had formed at the age of only seven, back before he had been ruined by Sunagakure…When he had been a sad little boy; a runt who had still mourned the death of his darling dead parents.

At least, he would not return to the Den while he was still alive.

Outside the sandstorm had almost blown over and Sasori knew that it would not pick up again – the whispers were telling him so. He had grown up in the wasteland for far too long.

It was a part of him.

Although Sasori had not remained faithful to the desert, it remained loyal to him.

It _knew_ him.

It _whispered_ to him.

It _**loved**_ him.

And it _wanted _him _**back.**_

-x-

They were traipsing towards Sunagakure, the remains of the sandstorm still whipping the grains around them, but they were not deterred. Sasori noticed that the blonde was holding a pouch within his hand right hand, "Did you bring Ohako?" Said clay creation was a C3 explosive, though Deidara rarely used it as it took quite a long time to form and sculpt, plus it did not remain explosive for more than twenty-four hours.

Deidara looked down at the pouch and then at Sasori, giving a slight smirk, "Of course; I thought that it would be fitting, un." The red head was about to question as to when the boy had managed to put it together, but he didn't need to, "You thought I was sleeping this morning? You woke me up as soon as you woke up, I just pretended to be asleep when in reality I just grabbed some clay and spent the time you were exploring making Ohako."

Sasori nodded Hiruko's head before turning back to face the front, knowing that Sunagakure would soon be in view and that the shameful day would soon give way to the holy night.

Within the puppet the red had made a ram seal, "Release," he felt a buzz shoot through his chest cavity, and he successfully broke the seal of one of his Sunagakure spies. "You remember the candle that was flickering? Well I have broken his seal in order to help us gain entrance into Sunagakure. He must have known information about the Akatsuki - that is why it was flickering so much - so it was best to break his seal."

They walked over a small sand dune, and there in the distance was the great walls that surrounded Sunagakure; the village of Sasori's birth. They were silent for a few seconds, before Deidara spoke up, "So he was a traitor?"

Sasori gave a low grunt, "It is more complicated than that, but I guess that is one way of saying it."

"I see…" Deidara gave a slight hum and looked down at his pouch that contained Ohako and other pre-made explosives for several seconds, "So first it was that one spy that we sent to Orochimaru…" Of course he was referring to Kabuto, "And now this one as well…" He gave a slight sigh of faux remorse and shook his head in disbelief, "Shit; our secrets safe with no one!"

The red head rolled Hiruko's eyes and the sand died down further, "It can't be helped, Brat; as soon as I cast the Jutsu on someone, there is no way to tell how they will turn out in the end." Deidara simply gave a nod, adjusting his large Akatsuki hat slightly and Sasori eyed the blonde's pouch, "Are you sure that one bag of pre-made clay sculptures will be enough? Our opponent is a Jinchuriki host after all…"

Deidara scoffed and rolled his eyes arrogantly, "All of my techniques are works of art, un! But remember - just in case it isn't enough - I have Ohako; my speciality…" Deidara unzipped the left pouch at his waist, "Since our opponent," the blonde shoved his hand into his clay pouch, and the red head listened as the younger male began to chew on some clay, "is the One Tailed Jinchuriki, un…"

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a sharp sigh of annoyance, "Don't forget that he is also the Fifth Kazekage; and I know for a fact that they would not put someone with average skills on the top. Hell, they wouldn't even put a Shinobi with exceptional ability as the Kazekage; Gaara must have incredible skill."

"I know, I know; you don't have to warn me." Deidara smirked at the red head, slowly shaking his head, "I'm not that arrogant…Okay, maybe I am, un~" He grinned wider and Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes, turning back to face the way they were headed.

They could hear the faint sounds of fighting in the near distance, "Quiet now; we are almost at the entrance." The walls of Sunagakure towered high above them. The walls that kept the village safe from sandstorms and enemies…But they would never be enough to deter Sasori of the Red Sand.

The walls to him were a greeting. Welcome home, Sasori Yoshiko…


	59. The Loyal Wasteland

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifty-Nine

The Loyal Wasteland

Sasori and Deidara made their way to the entrance of Sunagakure, somewhat relieved with what they saw. A single male stood within the passageway with all the other apparent guards lying dead around him. Red blood was splattered everywhere, even across the cheek of the man who stood before them.

Sasori recognised the face of the Shinobi from when he had first placed his seal on the black haired male twenty years ago. The red head recalled the fact that his name was Yura. The male went down onto one knee in a deep bow, awaiting further orders from the puppet master who possessed strings over him. Sasori smirked faintly inside of Hiruko, faintly wanting to shoot Deidara a look that said 'Told you so', but he refrained from it within the presence of his disciple. "Very good, do you remember who I am now?"

"Yes…" The male bowed subtly lower, his black hair covering the majority of his face, "Of course I know who you are, Lord Sasori…"

Deidara scoffed faintly, knowing that the red head was simply showing off now, "Of course he remembers you, Danna! It wouldn't be an impressive Jutsu if he didn't now would it, un?"

Within Hiruko, Sasori was still smirking but with the large puppet's gruff voice only Deidara was capable of detecting it, "See? Once their memories of me are restored they are loyal servants…Most of the time anyway…"

"Whatever; just remember that I'm supposed to be the flamboyant one, Danna," the blonde rolled his eyes and brought his hand forward, the mouth spitting out a wad of moist chewed clay, "let's get this over with then…" Deidara closed his fingers around the ball and began to mould the clay, a few seconds later revealing a figurine of a bird. "I'll do all the work, Danna~ All you have to do is lie back and watch me, un~" Sasori rolled his eyes at the innuendo, but overall he didn't care. Deidara tossed the bird and made the ram seal, resulting in a large cloud of smoke swallowing the small figurine, "I will attack them from the sky!" The blonde jumped forward into the air, landing on the back of his giant clay bird, dispersing the cloud from around his creation. As he did so, the blonde pulled off his hat before shooting the red head the usual grin from over his shoulder, "So what do you think of my artistic creation, Danna? Pretty neat, huh?"

Sasori scoffed and narrowed Hiruko's eyes in a dangerous glare, wishing that the blonde would take the mission more seriously, "Just don't keep me waiting, Brat." Deidara chuckled slightly and took off into the air in order to fight and capture Gaara: Fifth Kazekage, One Tailed Jinchuriki and Karura's youngest offspring.

The red head watched him leave and gave a slight sigh of annoyance, knowing with irritation that Deidara would most likely take his time with the fighting.

So much for being fleeting…

Sasori - knowing that he had plenty of time - decided to get some information from his spy while he was there. "Yura, there are a few people I would wish to know of." The man bowed down once more at recognition from the Akatsuki member, ready to answer any questions as best as he could. "The people I wish to know about go by the names of Yashamaru, Pakura, and Chiyo; tell me about them."

Yura gave a nod, head still bent low out of both respect and fear, "Yes, Lord Sasori…Yashamaru reached the level of ANBU and committed suicide approximately eight years ago under orders of the Fourth Kazekage in an effort to see if he could control the demon inside of Gaara. Pakura became famous for her unusual Kekkei Genkai, though she slowly began to go insane. She would have periods of lucidness, and then she would abruptly lose her mind at spontaneous intervals. Pakura eventually lost it completely and by the time she was nineteen years old she was deemed a threat to others. Yashamaru was the one who was ordered to kill her and he did so, himself being killed later within the same year." Sasori nodded Hiruko's head and waited for him to continue, "…And Chiyo…She is still alive, but she has retired, along with her brother. They no longer care to dwell within the affairs of the younger generations, and now she keeps herself locked away from the world."

Sasori nodded Hiruko's head once more in thought, before giving a slight sigh of relief, knowing that he would have no issues concerning people he knew… "Very good, Yura, now you should be off in case the others grow suspicious concerning your disappearance. If I require your services further, I shall send you word through my other spy whose seal I have yet to break, understood?"

"Yes Lord Sasori," he bowed his head once more before disappearing in a flash, leaving the red head alone to his ministrations.

Sasori turned to look at Deidara high above the village, and he watched for several seconds as another figure rose into the sky, supported on a cloud of sand. He found it quite hard to believe that the red head who stood in front of the blonde was the baby that he had seen fifteen years prior when he had come to kidnap the Kazekage. Sasori watched for at least a minute, wondering faintly what it would be like if he had never left Sunagakure.

Realisation struck Sasori hard.

He had made a mistake.

He should never have left Sunagakure, he should have never joined the Akatsuki, and he should have never become Sasori of the Red Sand. Karura had been right all along, and he only realised now when it was way too late. He recalled happy memories of his time within the Land of Wind, all of his achievements and his goals.

Sasori could have become so much more than he had on the outside world. He could have become the Fourth Kazekage, he could have become Karura's husband, he could have made Chiyo proud, he could have achieved so much…

But they would never accept him back now. He had gone too far. He had done too much. He had climbed too high.

Now his own prophecy would soon come true.

Sasori had officially reached the top, and now the only destination left was for him to come crashing back down…

The red head then looked to the other figure that stood above the village; he looked at Deidara and found all of his regrets vanish in an instant.

He had made the decision that he had wanted; he was not wrong.

Sasori liked the person who he had grown up to be; he was a true Shinobi.

Away from the propaganda bullshit, without any loyalty towards anyone - aside from colleagues - and there was nothing to limit himself. Sasori had been as free as a bird, just as he had always wanted to be; even when he had only been five years old he had wanted that. And he did not regret that he had done.

Others may not have been proud of him, but he sure as shit was.

Sasori gave a slight sigh and turned, knowing that he would have to set up a booby-trap for after the blonde succeeded – just in case they were followed. Of course they would be able to easily take down any Shinobi that came after them, but they had a deadline to stick to; they could not waste time on petty fights. The red head turned his puppet around and walked halfway through the entrance of Sunagakure, stopping once he noticed movement out of Hiruko's right eye. One of the Shinobi that had been guarding the passage was still alive, but they were dying slowly of blood loss.

The red head gave a half-hearted scoff and put Hiruko's hand upwards, using his Tender Touch Technique to heal the male at a distance, just to keep him barely alive. He would probably last several hours; that would be enough for the trap. Sasori attached puppet strings to him, straightening him up so that he could place an explosive tag on his chest before releasing the threads. After a few seconds he placed other paper bombs around the tunnel, hidden in small crevasses that would all be set off in a domino effect once the first blew up. Sasori gave a slight hum and continued onwards until he exited Sunagakure altogether, looking out towards the dark desert.

The sandstorm had completely vanished by this point so both Deidara's footprints and the drag of Hiruko's Akatsuki cloak against the sand were clear, and Sasori gained some inspiration from them. He made several handsigns within Hiruko, setting up a genjutsu so that there was the appearance of several sets of their tracks leading out into the desert in all directions. It would serve as an even more useful distraction than the bomb that he had set upon the guard's chest. Sasori gave a relieved sigh as he finished setting up, turning and moving back through the entrance of Sunagakure, looking back up at Deidara with slight shock. Deidara's left sleeve was completely in tatters, and his arm was totally gone.

Sasori couldn't help but sigh in annoyance, knowing that he would have to sew on a new limb after they had completed the mission. "When I said that 'You could probably lose a limb and not notice' I was joking, you idiot…" He knew that of course Deidara couldn't possibly hear him, but Sasori still needed to say it - even if it was to the empty air.

He scoffed and shook his head inside of the puppet before he decided that he did not care to watch the boy's fight; one fighting for the good of his village and the other because he had been told so…As Sasori began to lumber his puppet through the entrance he started to ideate about what he had just thought…Was that how people believed they could dub one as being good or bad? Their reasons?

Gaara fought for his village, while Deidara fought because it was his job…But both also had other reasons as well. The Akatsuki were after Gaara, so he was fighting for his very life, and the blonde had the same purpose. If Deidara didn't succeed in capturing the Jinchuriki, then his life would be on the line as well. Sasori would probably be punished as well if Deidara did not complete the task; after all, it was supposed to be the puppet's job to take down the One Tail…

So who was good and who was bad?

Sasori gave a slight smirk as he reached the desert once more and he leaned back within Hiruko to wait for the blonde to succeed in his mission. He had been right all along.

Only idiots used petty terms such as 'Good' and 'Bad' within describing a person; the world was not simply black and white. And Sasori had known that for a long time - far longer than most people.

The red head turned Hiruko's head up to the moon, gazing at the round ball which hung high in the night sky. Deidara was taking forever…

That wasn't it…He would eventually realise the real meaning of 'Good' and 'Bad', but not yet…Not yet.

-x-

"Well I've cleared my mission, un! I think we should celebrate~" Sasori looked up as he heard the sound of Deidara's voice and he watched as the clay bird fluttered down to the ground with the Jinchuriki unconscious within the curl of the giant sculpture's tail feathers.

The red head glared at the blonde who was currently smirking, waiting for some sort of praise from his senior. Sasori wouldn't give him the privilege. "You're late…I told you not to keep me _**WAITING**_!"

He flung Hiruko's tail at the blonde, the latter easily ducking to avoid it, blinking before his smirk easily returned. "Well aren't we grumpy, Danna? You were right though; this Jinchuriki _was_ rather strong, un…"

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes and gave a harsh scoff, "I warned you, Brat…Maybe next time, you will actually _listen_ to me for once!"

"Well in that case…Is everything ready down here?" Deidara smirked at the red head with the usual audacity, knowing perfectly well that the puppet master would not be as angry as he currently was if he had not completed his own ministrations.

He knew Sasori of the Red Sand far too well.

"WELL OF _COURSE_ IT IS!" The red head sighed harshly in anger and swallowed a portion of his temper, knowing just how much Deidara loved to see him show emotion. "I had plenty of time to see that everything was set up…" Within the puppet the red head gave a sarcastic smirk, "Because - unlike you - I know _exactly_ what I am doing…"

Sasori hated waiting so much…

The blonde looked back at the entrance of Sunagakure, sensing both the red head's sarcastic smirk and his urgency to get away from the village that he despised even more so than any other, before giving a loud sigh. "Fine then…Let's get going, un."

The blonde jumped off of the owl, landing on the sand with little hassle before the clay creation flew back into the air. It began to drift a few metres above their heads, carrying the Jinchuriki within its tail so that the two Akatsuki members would not have to. They began to walk forward, though the red head couldn't resist taking a glace over Hiruko's shoulder at the village that had raised him.

He couldn't help but bitterly glare and tell himself mentally that he would _never_ return to the Village Hidden in the Sand ever again. Not even if Pein ordered him to.

He never did.

Deidara parted his cloak slightly and removed his hat from a seal which was inside of his uniform, placing it on his head and buttoning up his cloak once more. They both continued to move forward calmly, too cool and arrogant to be in any hurry. They knew that no matter what forces they met they would be able to over power them and that Sasori's ministrations would easily buy them enough time.

After a few minutes there was the sound of an explosion behind them and neither had to even look back to know the obvious, though Deidara stated it anyway, "Well; it sounds like someone has just fallen for your trap, Danna, un."

Sasori rolled Hiruko's eyes in irritation, "Of course they did, Brat; it wouldn't have been much of a trap if they had not fallen for it." The people of Sunagakure were just as predictable as ever.

Deidara gave a slight hum in thought, "I guess that is true enough…Now, is it possible to have something done about my arm, un? I can't feel anything due to the painkiller you gave me, but I would still prefer not to bleed to death just when my life has started to improve."

Sasori rolled his eyes and gave a sigh, "You're such a nuisance; I warned you to keep your guard up. How the hell did you get your arm taken off anyway?" The red head moved Hiruko's tail out around the blonde and he pressed the blunt side against Deidara's tattered sleeve, using the limb as a conductor for his Tender Touch Technique. He sent healing chakra through the tail and to the wound, slowly mending as much as possible, successfully halting the bleeding. It was always easier if he had a conductor to heal.

"The Jinchuriki crushed my arm using his sand, though it gave me an advantage. I sent some of my clay insects into the sand before he crushed it, and later that sand was used in his defensive shield. It successfully penetrated and I was able to hit him directly with the explosives. Sorry I didn't succeed it destroying the village for you, Danna. The Jinchuriki used the last of its power to stop Ohako from destroying Sunagakure…"

"Whatever, I don't need it destroyed; I just need to never have to visit that hellhole ever again. Maybe then, at last, I will be happy." Sasori retracted Hiruko's tail, finished with healing the wound, "I will sew on a new arm for you after this mission…Though I won't be able to get you one with another mouth on it."

"Oh, that's alright, Danna," Deidara grinned at the red head, "my hand mouths are the result of a Kinjutsu I stole from Iwagakure when I left. It doesn't matter whose arm you sew onto me, it'll soon sprout a mouth."

"…" The red head almost facepalmed within Hiruko, "Okay Brat; now that just sounded creepy…" He rolled his eyes and gave a sigh, "Whatever; let's keep moving. It will take a day and a half to reach the cave and that is without stopping, and then it will take at least three days to seal the Jinchuriki."

"And then after that it will be our fifth anniversary, un." Deidara smirked at the red head, raising his eyebrows suggestively, "We should commemorate it with some hot sex~" Sasori simply shot the younger male a look of warning, ignoring the comment.

Both of them made a sharp turn from an eastern direction to the north towards the cave, and the red head made several handsigns for the genjutsu he had used earlier, forming two other identical trails, one continuing east towards Tanigakure and the other south towards the coast. They were now headed straight for the cave with a slight eastern direction to their northward pace, and they would not require any further sharp divergences whilst in the Wind Country.

-x-

Sasori and Deidara looked forwards, watching as the sun began to rise in the distance - though it appeared far too close. The red head couldn't help but stare with slight affection, knowing that it would be the last time viewing a Wind Country Sunrise. The glow of the sun was reflected on the many grains of sand, giving a shimmering effect, as if the sand were actually a never-ending ocean with nothing else in sight aside from the various waves of dunes.

The only sounds evident were those of Deidara's footprints, the noise of Hiruko's cloak dragging against the dirt, the flapping noise of the clay owl's wings, and the ominous ring of the small bells that were attached to the Akatsuki member's hats.

Sasori could also hear the sound of the loyal desert, whispering to him, trying to warn the red head of something…

The red head unexpectedly stopped and Deidara halted his tittup almost instantly, knowing that if Sasori stopped he had a good reason to do so. The blonde gave a questioning sound and turned his head to shoot the puppet an expression both confused and surprised, "What's wrong Danna, un?"

Sasori gave a deep hum that was more of a growl with the help of Hiruko's gruff voice, "I didn't think that it was even possible, but we have been followed…" The red head had realised that the wasteland had been warning him of the approaching footsteps that were moving in a running gait.

They were no longer alone…How annoying.


	60. Sasori vs Kankuro

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty

Sasori vs. Kankuro

Sasori gave a deep hum that was more of a growl with the help of Hiruko's gruff voice, "I didn't think that it was even possible, but we have been followed…" The red head had realised that the wasteland had been warning him of the approaching footsteps that were moving in a running gait.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" The voice was unfamiliar to the red head and once both of them had turned to see who it was Sasori did not recognise the stranger.

It was a boy who was similar in age to Deidara - though definitely a few years younger - dressed completely in black, including a black hat which had two small tips that irritatingly resembled cat ears, and a metal plate with the Sunagakure emblem pridefully engraved upon it.

He wore purple face paint, the type worn by those of the Puppet Brigade, though the design was quite bland and nothing like what Sasori's had worn. On his back was a series of three scrolls, though the most odd feature of the male by far was the pair of strangely familiar eyes, though Sasori couldn't decide where he had last seen them. "So we meet at last…" His mouth widened slightly as he looked over to the Jinchuriki whom was still unconscious within the bird's grip, "Hand Gaara over now!"

Deidara scoffed at the idiocy of the Sunagakure Shinobi and the red head could sense just how much the blonde wanted to make a comment about how stupid it was to just waltz up to a bunch of S-Ranked criminals and to ask for the Jinchuriki back. He so much wished to point out how easy it would be for the duo to take down the puppeteer. Deidara had managed to bring down Gaara - a Shinobi of unprecedented power - all by himself, and now he also had Sasori with him, boosting their capabilities by more than double.

The kid's chances of victory weren't slim to nothing; they were probably in the negatives.

Sasori turned Hiruko to fully face the almost stranger once he realised where he had seen those eyes before…Takeo…They were the eyes of Takeo; the Fourth Kazekage, husband of Karura, father of Gaara, and Sasori's old patrol partner…This must be that brother of Gaara's that Sasori had seen for a few seconds when he had visited Yashamaru all those years ago…

The red head narrowed both his own eyes and Hiruko's in recognition and seriousness before turning his gaze towards his partner, "…Deidara…Go on ahead." It wasn't a suggestion, and this was made obvious once he made Hiruko leap forward, surprising the boy known as Kankuro, "I'll catch up to you."

The boy's gaze moved to Deidara for a few seconds and he glared hard before returning his glower to Sasori, having absolutely no idea who the red head was. The boy had even seen Sasori with Hiruko open before! Though then again he had only been at the age of two or three when he had seen the red head, and Sasori himself could barely remember happenings from when he had been five.

_Sasori blinked slowly and then looked down at the baby he still had held in his arms. It smiled up at him, as if it knew that they were both exactly the same._

"_There isn't a rotting world out there; I'm glad that I shed myself of this useless husk of a village. Unlike you and everyone else in this forsaken Sunagakure, I am no longer blind to the inhumanity that occurs here. Karura should have come with me. It was not my fault, it was-"_

"_Uncle Yashamaru?" The red head was cut off by a small voice, and he looked behind himself to where two small children stood, inquisitively staring up at Sasori and at the empty husk of Hiruko. The red head recognised them as the two children in the photograph with Karura, and he guessed that they were the rest of her offspring._

_One was a little blonde girl of roughly four who had her hair in two short messy piggy tails. The other was a boy of probably two or three who had short brown hair. The girl looked like Karura, and the boy looked surprisingly like Takeo…_

Yes, of course Kankuro didn't remember who he was…But did the kid still possess-

Sasori gave an exclamation of expectation once he saw the brunette reach behind him for the three scrolls on his back, and in several seconds they were unrolling across the desert sands. Kankuro kneeled down in anticipation, hands outstretched and a serious expression upon his face, "So are the two of you ready for…My puppet show?" There were three explosions of clouds as the brunette called out the names of his puppets; the very same three that Sasori had invented when he had been ten, "CROW! BLACK ANT! SALAMANDER!"

Sasori's eyes narrowed in recognition as the smoke cleared, revealing all three of his old puppets in pristine shape, as if they were not actually twenty-fucking-five years old.

The kid must have slaved away to keep them looking so young.

So Karura had ended up giving the puppets that Sasori had entrusted to her as a parting gift to her first born son, and here he was so many years later trying to use them against their very creator… "I'll say it again…" His voice was deep, as if he possessed some actual threat to the Akatsuki duo, "HAND GAARA OVER NOW!"

Within Hiruko, Sasori couldn't help but give a smirk at the kid's reluctance, and also at his ignorance to the knowledge of just _who_ his enemy truly was, "So he really is a puppeteer, ey? I thought as much."

Deidara gave a wide smirk as well, sensing the red head's faint humour, giving a slight knowing chuckle before jumping up onto his clay bird which still held Gaara hostage. "Fine then; I'll go on ahead," he spoke as if it were his own whim rather than Sasori's order, "enjoy the puppet show, Danna~" The bird took off, drowning out the blonde's laughter at his own morbid joke.

Kankuro gave a growl at the prospect of Deidara getting away with Gaara, "TRY IT!" He made some motions and sent Sasori's old puppet Crow zooming after the blonde with deadly intent, causing Deidara to instinctively turn to watch it try and attack him.

He had no weapons to defend himself at an instance notice, his clay creations taking up more time in moulding than he had at that moment. Sasori came to his partner's rescue, not even having to look behind as he sensed the puppet flying through the air, and in a second he took control of Hiruko's tail.

The limb shot out at an unimaginable speed, practically plucking the puppet from the air, wrapping around it tightly so as to keep it away from Deidara. Kankuro stared in disbelief and awe, mouth gaped and clearly trembling due to adrenaline, "_What?_"

Sasori bowed Hiruko's head forward in order to discard the Akatsuki hat from where it was perched and he stated his mantra, "Listen kid; I don't like to be kept waiting or to keep others waiting…So I'll make this short…_And sweet_." He smirked sinisterly inside of his marionette, enjoying the prospect of wiping the last of his imperfect puppet creations from the face of the world.

Kankuro was still surprised by how quickly Sasori had managed to grab his puppet in mid-flight, though he had appeared to regain his composure, "You managed to move as fast as Crow…I'm impressed…"

Sasori's smirk faded and he spoke with utter seriousness and slight irony, "The spider must be faster than the fly if he wishes to survive." Compared to the red head, this kid would be nothing short of an amateur. The only one who had skill even comparable to Sasori would be his Granny Chiyo, but as Yura had said, she had locked herself away from the world.

Deidara gave a slight chuckle as he finally realised who the puppeteer was, having still not left, "Oh; I remember now, un…The Jinchuriki is supposed to have a couple of siblings, and didn't you say that one of them was a puppeteer, Danna?" In translation he was saying that this boy was one of Karura's children, poking fun at Sasori and realising why he wanted to fight the boy. He also guessed by now that the puppets were actually the red head's creation, "Then I guess that that must be you…" He gave a slight chuckle, "Your name is Kanturo, right? Or Kanpachi…? Karis…? Or something like that." Deidara knew full well the male's name, he just enjoyed teasing him.

And it worked.

"IT'S KANKURO!" He purposely pulled Crow apart to escape the grip of Hiruko's tail, dropping to the sand and reforming in an instant. The puppet leaped up, straight for Deidara once more and Sasori simply batted the humanoid creation down into the sand using Hiruko's tail, as if Crow really were no more than a crow.

The kid probably didn't even know that the puppet was actually a mockery towards the people of Konohagakure.

"Forget about my partner," Sasori glared slightly, not enjoying the fact that Kankuro continued to try and attack the blonde, "I am your opponent…Deidara," he spoke with an ordering tone, highly annoyed that the blonde still hadn't obeyed his demand, "quit gawking and GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! You're in my_ way_."

It was times like this that Sasori wished that he still had control over Deidara's freewill. "Fine," the blonde spoke with a sarcastic sigh, "I'll leave you to your fun then, un." Of course he was mocking the red head, wondering whether he had the guts to kill the son of his ex-bestfriend.

The bird took off once again without hindrance, much to Kankuro's chagrin, "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Sasori - utterly infuriated at being ignored once more - flung Hiruko's tail at the brunette, the latter quickly leaping out the way of his wrath.

"Did you not hear me, _boy_?" Sasori smoke with murderous intent, angered by being disregarded, "I am your opponent!" Hiruko's voice was excellent in making him sound even more intimidating, and Kankuro gave a slight determined smirk, as if thinking that the red head would be easy prey.

He probably thought that the blonde was the more powerful opponent.

He was dead wrong.

"Okay then, if that's what you want…LET THE PUPPET SHOW BEGIN!" He made strong fluid motions, using his entire arms as opposed to just his fingers, sending both puppets Crow and Black Ant spinning in a circle around the red head, trying to catch him off guard, "FASTER!" They obeyed his commands, going against their old master without hindrance.

Puppets were not loyal.

The marionettes moved in a daze, but even so Sasori was easily capable of noticing that Blank Ant disappeared into the sand, though he did not show his knowing. Of course Kankuro was trying to plan a sneak attack, but it would not work.

Crow shot two kunai knives at Sasori and the red head easily deflected them with Hiruko's tail, simultaneously forming two other Jutsu. He made a sand clone and then used a substitution Jutsu to replace himself with the clone, the real Sasori disappearing underground without the other puppeteer realising.

"Pretty good~" Kankuro - oblivious to the red head's move - believed that he had succeeded, "Well, so far…" Sasori's clone was abruptly thrown into the air as the absent puppet surfaced underneath it, "But you didn't even notice that Black Ant was missing, did you?" The marionette leaned back and opened its barrel chest, wood shooting out in a new instalment, capturing the sand clone inside of its body before snapping shut. "And now…" He made several motions and Crow's joints moved out to reveal the deadly blades, "EXPERIENCE MY PUPPET SHOW! SECRET BLACK TECHNIQUE: IRON MAIDEN!"

Ah, so the amateur had learnt of Sasori's Secret Red Technique: Iron Maiden, no doubt from Yashamaru or Misaki Sensei…

The blades slammed down into the various holes of Black Ant's exterior with the intent of impaling the puppet master. "…And now…The show is over…" Sasori scoffed within Hiruko, knowing that even if it were himself inside of the Iron Maiden it most likely wouldn't have even touched him due to being in Hiruko. Even if it had managed to surpass the puppet's hide, then it still would not affect him unless the blades reached his chest cavity. Sasori released the Jutsu and roan grains began to leak from the various holes of the marionette, "What? It's just sand…?" Kankuro gave a gasp and opened the hatches of the puppet, revealing the sand version of Hiruko as it abruptly crumbled to bits, "It's a Sand Clone!"

Sasori decided that it was time to reveal himself, surfacing Hiruko a few metres behind the puppeteer, the latter quickly turning to face him. "You will have to do better than that, brat."

Kankuro sneered and Crow surfaced from the sand next to the brunette as he made a series of hand motions. Sasori could easily read the puppeteer's movements, knowing exactly what he was planning to do, dodging Hiruko to the side to avoid the series of poisoned senbon needles that came shooting at the Akatsuki member. He continued to read the movement of his fingers, knowing that he was planning a surprise attack from behind using Black Ant, Sasori easily able to knock the puppet away using Hiruko's tail.

Both Crow and Black Ant's limbs moved out and shot forward at the red head, though Sasori easily knocked them out of the way using Hiruko's tail. It was sort of fun to see himself outdo his old puppets.

Of course all of Sasori's hand motions were hidden inside of Hiruko, so it was impossible for Kankuro to anticipate his future moves. He probably didn't even know that Sasori was inside of a puppet, and the red head couldn't help but smirk at the idea, "What's wrong, boy? Have you run out of tricks so soon? I'm far from impressed."

Kankuro clenched his teeth in a sneer, making more easily readable and highly predictable hand motions, "PLEASE! I'M JUST GETTING STARTED!" Black Ant and Crow once again began to spin in a circle around the red head and Sasori knew that this time he wouldn't even need a sand clone. Crow shot two poison-filled bombs at Sasori that released a toxic cloud. "POISON MIST INFERNO: CONSECUTIVE NEEDLE COMBO!"

Of course it didn't affect the red head; he was a puppet who didn't even breathe.

Both Crow and Black Ant then began to fire senbon at Sasori, but he didn't even need to block them. They all hit the shell which covered Hiruko's back and bounced off in all directions, not even marking the Akatsuki cloak. The cloud soon cleared and Kankuro gave a gasp, though Sasori was beginning to find the fight slightly boring. "Are you finished yet?"

Kankuro sneered and began to talk to himself to try to deduce the situation to some imaginary audience, "No way…Even the poisonous gas isn't affecting him…"

Sasori narrowed Hiruko's eyes, hating to be referred to within the third person – it was as if he wasn't even there. "Did I already mention how much I hate making people wait? I don't want to repeat myself." Deidara would not move too far ahead without the red head and they were on a tight schedule, having already wasted enough time with their stop off in the cave on their journey to Sunagakure, "It's against my policy, you see…You've had your turn, but now it is time for mine. I'm bored of your show."

The kid hadn't even noticed that all Sasori had done was act in defence, having wanted to see how skilled the other was in offence.

He shot Hiruko's tail forward at Kankuro, but was stopped once the latter moved the unused Salamander puppet in front of him and he put up its defensive shell plate, successfully deflecting Hiruko's deadly attachment. The brunette gave a relieved smirk at the success, "Have fun trying to get through Salamander's defence; its shield can stand hundreds of tonnes of rocks falling on top of it." Oh, so that was how Kankuro had managed to survive Sasori's traps…Of course. "As long as I stand behind it, you can't even touch me!"

Sasori almost rolled his eyes at how ironic the situation was and how different it would be if Kankuro only knew who he was. "That puppet of yours," of mine, "does indeed have unimaginable defensive capabilities…But even the best made puppets possess weak spots." And it was the job of every puppeteer to know of his own puppet's weaknesses, so of course Sasori knew how to break Salamander.

"FORGET IT! SALAMANDER DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A-" Sasori - not even bothering to listen to the lie - shot Hiruko's tail forward, dodging the shield and turning back around to attack the right joint that connected the shell - that was made to resemble the Amegakure war lord Hanzo of the Salamander - to the body, successfully causing it to go flying off. "WHAT?" With him distracted, Sasori continued Hiruko's tail forward at Kankuro, though the latter still managed to leap into the air in order to dodge it. "NO! IT CAN'T BE!" He landed behind Sasori, giving a growl of frustration, "It took him only a minute to find Salamander's weakness!"

Sasori - angered at once again being referred to as if he wasn't there - shot Hiruko's tail at Kankuro again, this time full-heartedly trying to stab him. The brunette tried to grab the sides of the scorpion point, trying to make it stop but to no avail, though he managed to stop the tail from impaling him. Hiruko's poisoned tip dug into his chest, injecting him with Sasori's toxins and at that point the red head knew that the fight was over. Kankuro was flung into the air by the limb and he pushed it away, thinking that he had succeeded in saving himself as he slammed into the sand with a cry.

"Those puppets…All of the puppets that you possess are no different than any other. You can make the individual sections as strong as possible, but the joints are a weak spot for any marionette." Of course this did not include both Hiruko and Sasori's body. The defence puppet held no weak spots, while the red head's only weakness was his heart. Kankuro cringed and grasped at the wound of his chest, not yet knowing that he had been poisoned, "And now…For the _real_ grand finale~ I hope that you liked _my _show."

In an effort to win, Kankuro made more easily readable hand motions which led to Crow and Black Ant both firing kunai knives at Hiruko, though he easily managed to knock them away using his tail.

"You have some talent…" The kid was far more skilled than the other Puppet Brigade member who had possessed both Phoenix and Cephalo; maybe if Kankuro had also possessed those marionettes then he might have had a slim chance…or not. "You might have even won…If you had fought against a different opponent, that is." Kankuro flicked a single finger and Crow's head shot up from the ground, mouth open though Sasori easily smashed it back down with one flick of his own fingers, narrowing Hiruko's eyes. "Those puppets that you hold so dear…With all of their hidden mechanisms and abilities…" He sent the marionette's tail into the ground, stabbing right through Black Ant - who had been hiding there. "They're not _hidden_ from _me_!"

Sasori - sick of the flawed puppets of his past - finally decided to wipe them out. He used Hiruko's tail, requiring no further weapons, easily smashing all three marionettes until they were no more than broken parts. Kankuro - shocked and distressed over the loss of the puppets he had grown up using since he had been born - gave a loud cry, "CROW! BLACK ANT! SALAMANDER!"

Sasori couldn't help but chuckle sadistically at the brunette's misfortune, finding it tragically ironic, "You must be wondering as to how I am able to anticipate every single move your puppets make…Crow? Black Ant? Salamander? The answer is quite simple actually…_I'm the one who created them!"_


	61. You Take the Blame

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty-One

You Take the Blame

Sasori couldn't help but chuckle sadistically at the brunette's misfortune, finding it tragically ironic, "You must be wondering as to how I can anticipate every single move your puppets make…Crow, Black Ant, Salamander? The answer is quite simple actually…_I'm the one who created them!"_ Kankuro gave a gasp of shock and his eyes widened significantly, "…Well, I know that I promised to finish this fight as quickly as possible and to not keep you waiting… But facing one of my own disciples using my old toys…I couldn't resist the fun~ I simply have to savour the moment."

Sasori spoke almost apologetically and he was actually just planning what he was going to tell the irascible Deidara once they teamed up once more. "So then…That means that you are the legendary master craftsman of the Puppet Brigade…The great Sasori of the Red Sand…"

The puppet was faintly surprised that Kankuro - someone who had been born after the war - knew who he was. Ever since the rumours of him had stopped circulating, many people had forgotten who he was - or so he had thought… "I'm honoured that my name is so well known…" Plus he had been expecting Sunagakure to only speak badly of him since he had left; not refer to him as a 'Master Craftsman'… "Especially to a child…Such as you."

Kankuro sneered slightly and Sasori almost sighed, knowing exactly what was coming next, "You deserted the village some twenty years ago; why bother to come back to us now?"

The red head could not be bothered going through the entire speech about how he had had nothing more to gain from being in Sunagakure, or about how he hadn't been fooled by the propaganda bullshit, or how he had wanted to see the world without the hindrance of walls, dunes or rules blocking his view.

Sasori had just wanted to be free.

He gave a sigh and decided to definitely skip it, especially considering that his poison would be taking affect any second now, so even if he did begin then he would just be interrupted… "What is the point in answering your idiotic questions when you're about to die?" Kankuro's eyes widened and his body trembled before he fell over onto the sand, the toxin taking control of his self. He made confused groans and Sasori relished the look of recognition that crossed his face as he realised when the red head had managed to poison him. "The poison is already circulating perfectly…Your finished!"

Sasori - without thinking - shot Hiruko's tail forward, forgetting for an instant the last wish of Karura's note; the desperate plead to protect her children.

His tail was buffeted abruptly by Black Ant's head in a vain attempt to save Kankuro's life, and one of Crow's bladed arms shot at Hiruko's head. Perhaps the toys were more loyal than the red head had initially thought…Sasori easily moved his puppet's head back slightly, though he heard a faint tear as it ripped against the bandana that Karura had given him long ago…Wait…Karura!

Sasori abruptly recalled the wish and he knew that he couldn't directly kill the puppeteer…Oh well, the poison would be the death of him soon; it did not matter.

"Well then…Since you desire life so badly…I won't finish you off…I'll just let the poison take its course…" He retracted Hiruko's tail back into the mouth of the shell, though this was hidden beneath the Akatsuki cloak, "You will wish that I hadn't though; your suffering will be unbearable…" He turned his puppet around and began to follow the faint chakra trail that Deidara had left behind, the red head easily able to detect it after almost five years of living with the blonde's company, "But you shouldn't fret, boy. It will all be over in less than three days."

Sasori heard a faint plea from Kankuro, "…Gaara…" The brunette passed out completely, becoming temporarily dead to the world…Soon it would be permanently.

The red head did not bother to look back or to even hesitate in his movements, using chakra strings to pull his Akatsuki hat back onto his puppet's head. Sure he knew how to make the antidote, but he didn't have any with him at the moment, and even if he did he wouldn't use it to save Kankuro.

That wasn't Sasori of the Red Sand's style.

The wasteland gave an annoyed moan; it didn't want Kankuro. The male was not an acceptable substitution for the red head.

-x-

The red head finally found the blonde sitting in the shade of a rock with the clay owl perched on top of it. The bodies of Sunagakure Shinobi surrounded him, their death obviously the work of the blonde's explosives.

Of course they had been no match for Deidara, despite the fact that they had outnumbered him greatly. The boy perked up at the sight of Hiruko and he was definitely annoyed at the red head's unusual tardiness, "Danna…You're _late_…What gives, un? I thought that you didn't like to keep people waiting…Fucking hypocrite…"

Sasori rolled his eyes in annoyance at the blonde, though he couldn't help but give a sadistic smirk. The blonde had kept him waiting in capturing the Jinchuriki, so wasn't it fair that the red head should be able to do the same? "Yes; I don't like to keep people waiting - even if it is just you - but time flies when you're having _fun_~"

It was Sasori's turn to use teasing innuendo in his words and Deidara caught onto it immediately, giving a sneer in what could be jealousy, "What the fuck does that mean? You got something you want to admit, _Sasori_, un?"

The red head scoffed and shook his head, "Oh don't get so _touchy_. You accomplished your mission, didn't you? At least you've managed to secure the One Tail; once we've wrapped up our job with him it is onto my own target."

Deidara stood up, raising an eyebrow at the red head, "Yeah, but Danna…The one that you're after…" Sasori had already told the blonde what Pein had informed him about the Three Tails.

"Indeed," Sasori gave a thoughtful sigh, "I still don't even know where the Three Tails is…It would be so much easier if he would just come to me…Wouldn't it?"

Okay, so it was kind of stupid, but an Akatsuki member could always wish that life was easy…

"Well…Yeah," Deidara turned to look thoughtfully towards the direction in which they would be heading, "I suppose it would be, un…What kind of Jinchuriki is he again?"

Of course Sasori had told the blonde already that it didn't have a Jinchuriki - that it was just a Bijuu – but Deidara was slightly upset that he wouldn't get to battle the beast. "Well…Even if we can't find the Three Tails, I don't think anyone is going to really complain…" Sasori's bandana blew upwards into the wind, revealing Hiruko's inhuman mouth, "_As long as I catch one_…"

Deidara looked at the red head, raising an eyebrow at him before giving a humorous smirk, "Wow, that looks really creepy, Danna; and here I was forgetting why you wore that bandana, un." Sasori rolled his eyes and made a turn to the left to continue their trail in the north-eastern direction.

"Whatever, let's move." He began to lumber Hiruko forward, the blonde following at his side faithfully. Puppets may not be loyal, but Deidara sure was. One was obedient, and the other was loyal…It was either one or the other…Well, unless they had their Deal still on, though they didn't…Sasori would have to reinstate it after the mission.

"So how did the fight turn out anyway? Did you kill your new boyfriend, un?" Deidara still spoke with a hint of jealousy, not wanting to share Sasori. He was still unaware of just _how much_ he loved the red head, so he had no real knowledge of where the jealousy originated from.

"Sort of," within Hiruko, Sasori automatically gave a shrug as he ignored the whole 'boyfriend' part, "I broke his- my…old puppets and I poisoned him, though I let him live. He'll die in three days anyway, and those days will be spent in suffering; so don't think that I showed him any mercy."

"Okay Danna," Deidara smirked gleefully and they both continued to walk forward through the wasteland towards their destination, "let's just hope that you being 'not-merciful' doesn't influence the mission, un."

-x-

They had been walking through the desert for almost an entire day and the sun had set long ago. They would reach the cave a bit before morning and they were nearing the line of trees that sat on the edge of the Land of Rivers. "It feels good to be leaving all of this sand behind, un. I think I might take a nap as well, I'm worn out!"

"Keep moving, Brat," this time Sasori was not deterred by the line of trees, "I don't like to keep others waiting." He spoke slowly so that the blonde would understand what he was saying.

Deidara laughed and shot the red head a teasing smirk, "Yeah right, you're really one to complain, Danna. Whose fault is it that we took so long anyway, un? Innocent doesn't suit you~"

"We're both to blame for that, Deidara. I'm allowed to blame you, but you're not allowed to blame me." Sasori scoffed, rolling his eyes as he focused on the trees ahead of them.

"…Well that's true…I suppose…But I still like to blame you, un. It's fun~" Deidara gave a laugh and slowly shook his head before giving a sigh, "Well, I'm gonna take that nap now~"

"Fine, just be awake by the time the sun is up and I expect you to wake up in the case that we run into any more Shinobi…Got it? And keep the Jinchuriki out of sight." Deidara gave a nod and leapt up onto the clay owl, making it flutter high into the air above the tips of the tall trees. Sasori rolled his eyes as he continued on, apparently alone.

They were looking for two Akatsuki members with the kidnapped Kazekage, not one alone…Though they would still attack him anyway if he was seen, if only to get information on the whereabouts of where Gaara was.

Oh well, at least he wouldn't have the blonde around to pester him; that was a positive…Sasori did not stop as he reached the line of trees, but he was struck by a sudden memory of when he had first left Sunagakure.

_The red head stood alone in front of the broad stretch of trees which symbolised the River Country and his unknown future. He felt a sense of foreboding - even though he had been pass the line of trees many times before. The sandstorm which ravished the wasteland behind him was dying down, and Sasori would have to leave; it was now or never. He was still for a few seconds, before the red head reached for another scroll on his back._

"_There is nothing out there that I can't handle." He summoned Hiruko and crouched down in front of the puppet, removing the Sunagakure headband from around its neck. "We'll be going incognito for a while." Sasori slipped the Shinobi forehead protector into his medical pouch and climbed into his favourite marionette. He closed the hatch and covered the sad mask with the black cloak. Safe inside his work of art, Sasori did not even hesitate in crossing the line of trees._

_He was leaving it all behind. His brutal past, his monotonous present, and his predetermined future._

Sasori wondered faintly, if he had not had Hiruko all those years prior, if he would have possessed the courage to actually surpass the line, or if he would have remained within Sunagakure. Would Chiyo have eventually forgiven him for performing such a heinous crime of turning a human into a puppet? Probably…

No, there was no use in reminiscing; the future couldn't change the past, no matter how much one may wish it could.

The wasteland cooed behind him, bidding a remorseful farewell; but it knew perfectly well that one day it would get him back. Soon, it would have him forever…Soon.

The red head did not hesitate in crossing the line of trees and the whispers suddenly died.

He looked carefully at his surroundings, deducing that Deidara's bird would not be able to weave its way through the thick trunks and it would be best to avoid the common pathways. Sasori knew, however, that the trees would become less the further the forest continued. They were allowed to grow thick around the Land of Wind's borders in order to keep the sand from spreading and engulfing other neighbouring countries.

Sasori leaned back in Hiruko as he continued to mundanely move forward in the direction of the cave, half wishing that the blonde was there just to lighten the mood. He didn't know why but even though the trees had not been ominous, he was feeling an odd sense of foreboding within the back of his chest cavity…

The puppet master denied the twinge and continued onwards towards the cave: the place in which he would die…For the second time out of three, anyway.

-x-

Sasori reached the river where they had stopped on their way to Sunagakure just as the sun began to rise, and he became conscious of the sound of wings. He stopped and looked upwards to see the owl fluttering down through the gap in the branches where the river split the land in half. Deidara jumped off of it, giving a slight yawn and a smirk, "Miss me, un?"

Sasori rolled his eyes and straightened up inside of Hiruko, "Not at all; in fact I was rather enjoying my time alone."

The blonde gave a chuckle and lifted up his Akatsuki cloak, pulling his canteen from the side of one of his clay pouches. "I just need to fill up my bottle, Danna; I ran out at sunset yesterday and I'm dying of thirst."

Sasori scoffed; "Geez, you're always dying of_ something_, aren't you? 'Danna, I'm dying of thirst', 'I'm dying of starvation', 'I'm dying of blood loss'! You complain too much."

Deidara chuckled and knelt by the riverside, taking the top off of his canteen with his teeth before dipping it in the water for several seconds. He pulled it away once the bottle was full and he immediately began to take deep gulps of the cool liquid, easily emptying the canteen before proceeding to refill it.

Sasori was about to order the boy to hurry up when Deidara finished, placing the lid back on his canteen and returning it to the side pocket of his clay pouch. He abruptly turned and waltzed over to a group of trees, disappearing behind them, "What are you doing now?"

"SOME OF US HAVE THIS THING CALLED A BLADDER, UN!" The red head made a disgusted face before shaking his head, beginning to walk onwards without waiting for the blonde. He steadied his chakra to walk across the water's surface and the clay owl began to follow him, able to travel within the forest now that they reached the natural pathway that led straight to the lair. After a minute the blonde caught up to the red head, before fiddling around with one of the pockets of his pouches, "Man, I'm starving; I can't wait until after this mission. I swear I'm gonna eat an entire dango shop."

He slipped a food pill into his mouth and swallowed it, temporarily satisfying his hunger pains. Sasori rolled his eyes, "…Maybe afterwards we will find a shop that sells bakudan…"

The red head was fully aware that it was the blonde's favourite food and Deidara's face lit up explicably at the prospect. "I can hardly wait, un! And then afterwards, why don't you and me go and-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, Brat, or else you won't be getting anything…And I'll force you to eat pilaf instead of bakudan, how's that for a threat?" The blonde rolled his eyes but he was still giving a wide smirk, shaking his head slightly. "How's your arm? Or - more literally - your lack of one?"

"I think your pain killer is too good; my body is still numb." Deidara raised an eyebrow at his tattered left sleeve, giving a slight shrug. "How long did it last when you last used it, un?"

"Well it is twenty-two years old so it's wearing off period may have increased." Sasori shrugged slightly though Hiruko didn't mimic the action, "When I last used it the effects progressed for two days straight, but I don't know how long it will take until the effects wear off, but they definitely won't be permanent."

"That's good; I don't think that I could stand living without any feeling. Sure I can't feel pain, but other than that it sucks ass." He gave a sigh and rolled his eyes as they continued forwards, scuffing his shoes against the natural pathway. "Now I know how you must feel, Danna. How can you stand not feeling anything permanently?"

"You get used to it after a while, though it is admittedly strange at first…But then again, it wasn't as strange as the operation of turning my own body into a puppet. Do you realise how creepy it is to stare at your own dead body? Trust me, it isn't pleasant." Sasori looked upwards at the clay bird that was flying above their heads – though he avoided glancing at Gaara - before seeing an abrupt halt in the trees ahead of them.

"I'll take your word for it…" Deidara shuddered slightly before falling silent as they neared the clearing, realising with excitement that it was the cliff that overlooked the cave. They continued forwards and finally stopped once they reached the ledge, gazing downwards at the faded-red arch that framed the giant boulder which blocked the entrance to the cave. The paper tag was still attached to it and everything appeared to be exactly the same as when they had left a bit over three days ago. Deidara gave a sigh of relief, "At last we're here, un."

They listened momentarily to the sound of the trickling water which both had almost drowned in a few days prior, "Let's go already; I think we've kept Leader waiting long enough." Deidara jumped down first and Sasori followed a few seconds later, both landing on the surface of the water as if it was as solid as the ground. The bird fluttered down to them, still holding onto the unconscious Jinchuriki.

They both tittupped forward until they were standing before the giant boulder, both making a ram seal - though Deidara could only make a half ram seal due to his lack of a left hand - in order to notify the seal that it was the two who had first placed it who wished to pass through.

The red and white seal was still for a few seconds before it gave a high pitched whine and began to glow crimson. There was an ominous rumbling sound and the rock began to lift out of the water to reveal a large gap, allowing them passage into the lair.

They traipsed forward to the gap and walked into the cave without fear, the clay owl flying in after them. The two Akatsuki members continued across the water's surface until they crossed the shoreline which sat inside of the cave, both being able to see the holographic figure of Pein, patiently awaiting their arrival.

He was blocked out of sight as the bird flew forward and settled on the ground before him, but once it folded its wings they were able to see him again. Pein turned his head to send them a sharp - though aloof - gaze, "You're late; we must start this sealing immediately."


	62. The Sealing Part One

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty-Two

The Sealing Part One

Deidara gave a slight shrug and immediately took the blame, "Sorry; the Jinchuriki was more powerful than we anticipated it would be…" He didn't mention anything about Kankuro, fully aware that Pein could possibly punish the red head for wasting valuable time in such a serious operation.

There was a splash and the light disappeared as the boulder once again moved to block out the entrance from any unwanted intruders. The clay owl unrolled its tail, placing Gaara carefully onto the floor before disappearing in a burst of smoke. The hologram of Pein made several various handsigns before slamming his palm against the ground, summoning his Demon Statue from wherever it originated. There was a deep rumbling as the thing began to rise from the ground, taking up the majority of the area within the cave.

Deidara stared in awe though Sasori was quite indifferent, having seen the statue twice before - though it was admittedly more extravagant outside of hologram vision - and both Akatsuki members discarded their straw hats simultaneously.

The dust cleared to reveal the entirety of the demonic statue, its nine eyes closed tightly and its chained hands stiff with fingers spread. "Now…" Pein made one more hand sign, "I have called everyone to gather." A series of six holograms appeared, three on each hand, representations of the other Akatsuki members. Sasori and Deidara leapt upwards to join them, the blonde landing on the right hand's index finger, and the red head on the left hand's thumb. Pein's hologram disappeared for several seconds before reappearing on the right thumb next to Deidara, forming a ram seal. There was a click and the jaws of the statue opened partly, releasing a cylinder that had been blocking the passage. "The sealing will take a total of three days, so stay aware of your physical selves. Zetsu, have your physical body outside to stand watch…Use your personality that has the longest range of sight…Understood?"

"**I understand, Leader**." Zetsu's hologram buzzed slightly as his mature personality took control of the hologram form and his other personality controlled his solid body.

"Only three days?" Sasori easily recognised the voice of Kisame; "Isn't it likely that it could take even more than that since we don't have Orochimaru here this time?" There was slight tension which arose from the utterance of the name of the one who had betrayed the Akatsuki, though Kisame spoke it without any care.

Pein gave him a slow look before lifting his ram hand seal slightly higher, "That is all the more reason to start now." Several members gave their approvals, including Kisame, Itachi and Deidara, all agreeing that they should begin as soon as possible. The Akatsuki members all made handsigns, ready to initiate the Jutsu. The digits on which all of them stood began to become illuminated with a green glow, each slowly bearing the symbol that was inscribed onto each of their Akatsuki rings. Chakra began to build up inside of the statue's mouth and Pein activated the technique, "Sealing Jutsu: Nine Phantom Dragons."

The sound of something growling echoed throughout the cave and from the mouth of the giant statue emerged intangible dragons made entirely out of chakra - so powerful that it was clearly visible. They moved around, undirected for a few seconds before suddenly deciding who their target was. The dragons clustered inwards before lashing their bodies forward particularly fast at the unconscious figure of Gaara, consuming him within their chakra bodies. As they did so, the lair was filled with a blinding light that blotted out the Akatsuki member's visions for several moments before clearing.

The Jinchuriki was now elevated high in the air, surrounded by the chakra which the statue emitted. There was the new sound of Gaara gurgling in pain and red chakra began to be drawn from his mouth - the Bijuu's power being dragged from his body.

The red chakra travelled upwards to the statue's orifice and it began to gorge on it with the nine eyes that covered the statue's head slowly beginning to open. "Fuck," Hidan gave a hiss and a high-pitched chuckle, "that sounds fucking painful! I think I actually feel sorry for the fucker!"

Kakuzu scoffed and shot the zealot a bland look, "Shut up you idiot," he shook his head and gave a sigh, "this is going to take three days straight, so do us all a favour and don't talk."

Pein cut in before Hidan could rebuttal, "I am fully aware of just how tiresome this Jutsu is, and I will not forbid talking just as long as you all manage to keep your concentration and do not bring up anything that is offending or inappropriate…" The others were silent and Leader continued, "Now, there is a Jutsu which I shall activate under the circumstances that the sealing is threatened by outside sources. It is known as the Shape Shifting Technique; I will use a proportion of a candidate's chakra to form a clone with the use of a sacrifice. The clone will be able to use the candidate's techniques, Jutsu and they will also possess the ability to imitate any weapons, tools and even Kekkei Genkai."

"Well that seems convenient, un…" Deidara raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side, "But where are we going to get a sacrifice willing to perform the Jutsu on? I don't think that one is just going to waltz up and agree to participate…Except maybe that idiot Tobi…In fact, can we nominate him to be a sacrifice, un?"

"I first thought of this as an issue as well, Deidara…" Pein ignored the humour and turned his eyes to Sasori, "But your partner has provided a solution."

The red head raised one of Hiruko's eyebrows, giving Akatsuki's leader a questioning look, "And what _is_ this 'solution'?" Pein simply stared at the puppet for several short seconds and Sasori was able to realise what it was that the male was referring to, giving an irritated frown. "My spies?"

"Yes," Pein nodded his head, seeming slightly impressed that the red head had worked it out so quickly, "you have two in Sunagakure, correct?" Sasori nodded Hiruko's head in irritation and Pein continued, "Well, we have our solution. If we must use this Jutsu I shall have Zetsu's physical body travel to Sunagakure in order to bring your spies to this area. They will be able to be Akatsuki members…Temporarily of course."

Sasori did not like the idea of Pein using his spies up for a Jutsu, but he could not argue against Leader unless he wanted to die. So all he could do was give a slight nod in irritated agreement.

-x-

"**Our location**," Zetsu's voice broke through the almost silence like a knife, "**has been discovered…The enemy approaches**."

Deidara gave a frown and looked over to the plant man, "Huh? What enemy is that, un?"

Zetsu shrugged slightly "**A very skilled and dangerous one**." There was a suspenseful silence for several seconds, "**His name is Might Gai.**" Pein was silent for a few seconds before he asked who Zetsu was referring to.

Itachi was the one to answer him, "Might Gai is an elite Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and he is a master at Taijutsu techniques…He might appear harmless at first, but do not underestimate him."

Deidara snickered slightly - mostly at the Uchiha for saying something - still wishing to get revenge against the male for defeating him all those years ago and for mocking his art. Kisame gave an exclamation of recognition, "Ah! That strange beast again! He is a pain in the ass."

Leader gave a slight hum of deep thought and then a slight nod, "Very well, we must not let them interfere with the sealing. We will have to use_ that_ Jutsu…" Sasori blinked before sneering slightly, wondering whether it was really worth it, but he had no voice in the matter.

"I'll go!" Hidan's eager voice broke out before any others, "I'll fucking take him down; it will give me a fucking chance to make up for not being able to find a Jinchuriki yet."

Kisame gave a snicker and eagerly put him self forward, "No way; leave it to me, Leader. You see I personally met this Might Gai several years ago, and I have a bone to pick with the strange beast."

Pein didn't even need to think twice before he denied Hidan and approved Kisame, "Yes, you have the most chakra out of all of us Akatsuki, so you are the most suitable for the Jutsu…Very well Kisame, you will be used for the Shape Shifting Technique, though I will need 70% of your chakra to remain here for the sealing."

Hidan sneered at being denied and Kisame gave a gleeful chuckle, "Well finally I have the chance to pay that moron back for that kick that he gave me when I last met him."

"Good then," Pein then turned towards Sasori, "is your spy ready for the Jutsu?"

"Just give me a moment to break the seal," the red head shut his eyes for a few seconds and changed his voice to a whisper, "release." There was a snapping sound within his head as he broke the seal on his spy Mukade, nodding Hiruko's head slightly in approval.

"Very good…" Pein then turned to the plant man, "Zetsu, go to Sunagakure and bring Sasori's spy to the area which this Might Guy is currently located, and I shall initiate the technique." Zetsu gave a nod but did not reply verbally as he became involved in mental conversation with his other personality.

After a few seconds Zetsu gave another nod and Pein made several handsigns to activate the Jutsu, "Shape Shifting Technique", and Kisame fell quiet as he got his way. Sasori grumbled quietly to himself, hoping that his sacrifice was enough for Pein and that it was appreciated, though the Leader said no thanks.

"So, we're going to be here for a fucking while, huh?" Everyone was quiet in response to Hidan's remark, not even caring to answer the idiot, "Well…Fuck monkeys, this is going to suck ass…Well, nothing else to do…Except…Oh! I fucking got it!" Hidan gave a wide grin, "I spy with my fucking eye, something beginning with D!"

All of the Akatsuki members shot the idiot a sharp glare, all except for Deidara, "Ummm…That's a hard one…Is it Demonic Sealing Statue?" Hidan cursed at being beaten so easily and the blonde continued the stupid game, "I spy with my fucking eye, something beginning with D!"

Hidan gave a sharp thoughtful frown and a few moments of silence, "…Fuck…Is it Demonic Sealing Statue?"

"…Shut up, un." Deidara pouted slightly and gave a sigh before smirking widely, "Just kidding; that's not it."

"Well fuck nuts…Darkness?" Deidara shook his head, "Dank? Deidara? Dancing? Demonic Statue? Demon Statue? Demon Statuette? Dicks? Dorks? Fuckers? Oh wait, that last one began with a T…Fucker is spelt 'T-H-U-K-E-R, right? Is it Dango?" The blonde continued to shake his head, and the others just got more annoyed with each guess, "Well fuck nuts…I give up Blondie, what the fuck is it?"

Deidara gave a wide smirk and pointed over at Sasori, "Danna~" At that point the red head couldn't resist the urge to facepalm, giving a dark sigh of absolute irritation. Hidan burst out into high pitched laughter and the blonde joined in as well. At least Kisame wasn't mentally there, or else he would undoubtedly join in the mirth.

Sasori gave a sigh and rolled his eyes, knowing that if he had still been mortal - or at least in human form - he would undoubtedly be blushing from embarrassment. None of the other Akatsuki joined in with the laughter or said anything about it, choosing rather to not partake or encourage the idiocy between two of the three youngest Akatsuki members.

At least Itachi was maturer than both of them combined.

The laughter soon stopped and the cave was quiet, Zetsu interrupting before the idiotic game could continue, "**There are more intruders.**" There was a serious silence around the cave at the notification and Sasori almost facepalmed himself once again as he realised what it meant.

Pein's eyes moved to the red head on the opposite side of the cave before sliding to look at the blonde, "You didn't make much effort in covering your trail, now did you Deidara?"

The blonde became flustered and he flushed slightly at the direct accusation, gulping before muttering a quick excuse, "Well…As I said before, the Jinchuriki was more powerful than we anticipated, un…"

Sasori decided to take his revenge on the blonde for embarrassing him two seconds ago, "You are an absolute idiot," he couldn't help but smirk inside of Hiruko with a cruel glare on his face, "your methods are far too crude for any sort of covert operation, _**Brat**_."

Deidara immediately turned irascible, more willing to snap at Sasori than at Pein, "CRUDE?" he scoffed loudly, "THOSE CLUMSY TRAPS OF _YOURS _WERE HARDLY SUBTLE MY _FRIEND!" _He spoke the last word with major sarcasm and slight innuendo.

Sasori sneered at the blonde who was trying to blame him, both already having discussed earlier that the red head was allowed to blame him but not the other way around, "Why you-"

"Stop bickering," Pein snapped in, instantly quietening the two squabbling artists, "focus on the Jutsu or this will take longer than need be…" Deidara scoffed quietly and Sasori sneered but made no voiced complaints, knowing that Leader would only give them one warning, "Now…Who to send this time…?"

The red head sighed, knowing that he was going to have to give up another of his spies…Well, the only one he had left in Sunagakure was Yura, so at least he wouldn't have to waste chakra in breaking another seal. "Me!" Hidan burst out again, wanting to do something to ease his boredom, "This fucking time it's me!"

"This time," Zetsu broke in to ruin the zealot's outburst, "a Konoha Shinobi should go." Of course he was basically saying that Itachi would be the best to go, considering he was the only one of the Akatsuki who was from the Leaf Village, though he was being more subtle about it.

The Uchiha immediately turned to look at Zetsu, as stoic as ever though his eyes were slightly narrow. Hidan scoffed at once again being denied, scowling but making no other objection. "Very well, I have decided; Itachi, you will go. Sasori, we will require another sacrifice."

"I only have one spy in Sunagakure left now, and his seal is already broken - but he should still be loyal. His name is Yura; you can go find and use him." Sasori leaned back in Hiruko - not at all caring anymore - knowing there was no use in arguing since he had no choice.

Pein gave a nod at Zetsu and the plant man nodded back, notifying that he had already finished in retrieving the spy, and Leader made several handsigns, "Shape Shifting Technique."

Itachi fell silent, or at least would have if he had actually been saying anything.

For a while they continued to listen quietly to the sound of Gaara's gurgling groans of agony as his Bijuu was dragged from his body by force. There was a silence for several seconds before Hidan spoke out again, "So where were we? Oh yeah! I spy with my fucking eye, something beginning with D-"

"Hidan." Kakuzu's irritated voice was matched with a cold glare, "Shut up; we are Akatsuki members, we don't spend our time playing stupid games for children, no matter how bored we get."

"…" Hidan rolled his eyes and gave a sigh, "Fine…We'll play Twenty fucking Questions! Okay, I love money-"

Deidara gave an exclamation of realisation and a smirk, "You're Kakuzu, un!" Both the red head and the brunette couldn't help but facepalm in irritation, and Pein gave a sigh.

This was going to be a long three days…

-x-

"That's it," Pein found that even he couldn't take it any more, "I am also banning immature guessing games including, but not limited to: I Spy, Twenty Questions, Truth or Death, Japanese Whispers, Magic Number, Shoot the Shinobi, Celebrity Heads on a Pike, Find the X, Karaoke, and telling stories…" He thought for a few seconds before giving a sigh, "Fine; story telling is allowed, just as long as it isn't stupid."

Hidan sighed in boredom, cursing loudly and Deidara crossed his arms – though it was odd since he only had one arm – and he gave a slight smirk, "Story telling, un? Well I think that Danna would have some interesting tales to tell~" He shot the red head a sharp look, still giving his cunning grin as he tried to embarrass the older male further.

Sasori scoffed but did not reject the offer, "Fine then, I'll tell a story…" The red head frowned and tried to think of something from his childhood, finally coming up with something. The Akatsuki members all looked at the puppet, all wishing to ease their boredom, "There once was a little boy by the name of Red who was a Shinobi, sent on a mission that was not very important, but a mission none the less. He and his squad travelled across the vast sea to an island, the whole time acting as body guards for their client, as assuring her safety was the purpose of the mission. They were attacked by pirates, but the three children were able to easily defeat the scum, and soon they reached the island, completing their mission."

He already had the attention of all the Akatsuki members - aside from Itachi and Kisame – with none of them making any objections in him continuing.

"Once they had finished their mission, the client gave the required reward to their Sensei, a woman who…Well…Let's just say that she was smart, but she was missing a few screws inside of her head. The client also gave to each of the Genin a magical charm that was said to protect them. The bracelets were unique and beautiful, but she did not mention that each charm brought eventual misfortune unto anyone who wore it for an extended period of time. Red received the charm of the dove and he was quite happy with it, oblivious to the curse which it held."

There were several moments of silence as Sasori thought of how to continue and Pein took the opportunity to announce, "Itachi is now in combat against the enemy, and I can tell that Kisame is in battle as well."

There were a few mumbles of recognition, but the others just waited for the puppet to continue. "…Well, the children - despite being Shinobi - were still children. They explored the island and eventually they found a place where they could play; a large open field with mud and beautiful pink flowers. But they were not alone. The island was neutral territory, you see, and the world was at war. A group of Chunin from the enemy village of the Genin's own stumbled upon the area as well and immediately tried to pick a fight, albeit the Genin knew better. But the leader of the Chunin group was a snarky, bratty, blonde girl."

He spoke the words with venom and aimed them at Deidara. The boy caught onto the story he was telling, eyes widening slightly.

"The girl had the audacity to secretly challenge Red to a fight, despite the fact that they would be banished if caught fighting. Of course the Genin could not refuse a duel, even if it was against a brat born with a silver spoon in her mouth. So he fought her, but in the end - despite the fact that she was older - Red easily outwitted the arrogant brat. But just as he was about to kill her, he gave her one last chance. He made her guess his name, and of course the snarky girl spoke not his name, but the name of the fairytale character 'Nimble-Still-Creep', as arrogant as ever." A few of the Akatsuki mumbled something, recognising the name, and some did not, "And as that story ends, the antagonist takes the princess's bracelet, her first born son, and her life. But of course Red was far too naïve to kill the girl, so he made her a promise. He told her that he would become the best Shinobi the likes of her had ever seen." Sasori finally recalled the words he had promised to Asuko, even though he couldn't earlier, "And then Red gave her his dove bracelet, leaving her to wallow in self pity…Red never saw the girl again, but after many years he came across her son."

A few eyes immediately turned towards Deidara, catching onto the truth behind the story and the blonde flushed in humiliation, "Okay Danna, I think we are all sick of your stupid story, un…Shut the fuck up already!"

She was usually quiet and composed during serious occasions, but it was Konan's turn to finally speak out. "I would like to hear how the story ends."


	63. The Sealing Part Two

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty-Three

The Sealing Part Two

No one even dared to argue against the only female member of the Akatsuki - not even Deidara - considering her close ties with Pein, and Sasori eagerly continued.

"The son of the girl was exactly the same as her, though of course lacking breasts and he was definitely not as smart." The blonde gave a scowl, but knew he couldn't do anything about it, "In fact, he was also three times as annoying," Sasori was enjoying this now, "and it turned out that his mother had died in a war when he had been only four years old. Of course Red had to ask about his bracelet, and at first the Brat claimed he didn't have it, but of course he did. And soon he made an offer with Red…"

Sasori stopped as he realised that he had just hit a wall…

He would definitely not tell the Akatsuki that in exchange for the bracelet he had actually slept with the blonde… An idea suddenly struck him and the red head straightened up inside of Hiruko, "Deidara knows the story; I think he should end it."

The blonde blinked, not remembering the offer for exchanging the bracelet for sex but recalling when Sasori had told him about it in the Den. "Well, the boy had received the charm from his mother so he did not want to give it up." Deidara did not want the Akatsuki to know that he and Sasori had had sex either, even though Kakuzu and Pein already knew - possibly even Konan. "So he made Red promise that in return, he…Would…Accept his art…?" It snapped together in Deidara's head and he abruptly gave a wide smirk, straightening up slightly, "Yeah; Red agreed to accept his art work in exchange for the bracelet, un~"

Sasori narrowed Hiruko's eyes to shoot the blonde an angered glare, "Your art is as stupid as you are, Brat."

Deidara stifled, giving a blink at the red head and then sneering at him, "My art is fucking better than anything that you could ever do, _Da_-nna!" It was sort of funny how both artists were even more so at each other's throats when in the presence of the other Akatsuki members.

Sasori sneered and was about to continue the usual argument when Pein broke them apart with his voice, "I told you to stop bickering; enough of this story telling. I am no longer allowing it unless it is a fake story, isn't allegorical, isn't stupid, and is not told by either Deidara or Sasori." The Akatsuki all agreed and fell silent, most wondering how the red head's tale had truly ended but none going against Pein's word.

-x-

After a long time of silence with simply the Jinchuriki's gurgling to fill the void, Itachi and Kisame both opened their eyes. "So the Jutsu wore off, did it? Oh well, we were able to delay them for long enough. Well done Kisame and Itachi."

Okay, now Sasori could not keep quiet considering the already bitter mood he was in, "Aren't you forgetting someone, Leader? Do I have to remind you where the bodies for your Jutsu came from?" He usually wasn't so verbally vicious to Pein, but he was completely pissed off by this point, "They were both _my_ subordinates!"

Pein, in an odd reaction, did not yell at Sasori; though he never did raise his voice much anyway, but his lack of any anger at the red head's outburst was still quite odd since he had the ability to kill all of the Akatsuki without even batting an eyelid.

He possessed a power that was to be feared and to be awed.

Pein simply gave a slight chuckle and closed his eyes for several seconds, "I think that you should be thanking me instead, Sasori. It was only due to my Jutsu that they were granted the privilege of joining the ranks of the Akatsuki…Briefly." He gave a slow, ominous chuckle, and opened his eyes once more, "It is almost finished."

-x-

Pein soon gave a sigh and looked to the plant man with his next task, "Zetsu; get rid of the bodies of those two we used for the Shape Shifting Technique. It is best that their corpses disappear."

In other words, he was telling the plant man to dispose of the bodies by eating them, "**Very well**."

Pein gave a faint nod and then turned his attention to the Uchiha, "Itachi; what do you know of our enemy's totals and abilities?" Yes, they were the Akatsuki's enemy, and to them the Akatsuki were their enemy.

"The squad is composed of several Shinobi from Konohagakure, including Kakashi Hatake," Sasori frowned slightly at the odd déjà vu that the last name held, but he couldn't recall why, "the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki known as Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and also Chiyo, an elder from Sunagakure."

Sasori was definitely taken aback by the last name, having not expected the woman to come out of retirement just because he had made an appearance. "…Granny Chiyo?"

The Akatsuki all looked at him, some of them also taken aback by his interest in the name and use of the word 'Granny'.

Deidara clicked his remaining hand and gave a look of realisation, "Right! I remember you told me that your parents were killed and then you were raised by your Granny, un…Whoa, now that's going to be a fun fight to see! She must be ancient by now!" Deidara was silent for several seconds before bursting out laughing, probably imagining the scene in his head, "SHE'S GONNA FREAK WHEN SHE SEES HOW OLD YOU LOOK!"

Sasori gave a sharp sigh, though at this point he really couldn't care, "She knows about Hiruko, Brat, so I'm sure she won't be surprised at all. If anything Granny would be more surprised by my lack of aging…" Zetsu gave a confused sound, the only one unaware of the fact that within the puppet was a sixteen-year-old-looking red head…Well, excluding Hidan who also didn't know. "…Don't worry Zetsu, it is nothing."

Deidara snickered lightly, "Think she will bake us some homemade cookies, un?" Hidan cackled lightly and Kisame snickered, though other than that there was little reaction.

The group said nothing further on the topic, though Sasori couldn't take his mind off of it. Pein broke the silence by turning to the shark man, "Kisame, what of the team that you fought?"

The shark gave a slight hum and a shrug, "Well, there were four of them - all from Konoha as well. The team was made up of Might Gai, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and also a girl who didn't stand out as important at all," He gave a chuckle, "I think her name was TenTen…Or SixSix…It was definitely an even number."

"A Hyuga?" Pein frowned slightly before giving a slight nod, "That must mean that he has the Byakugan…That might make it easier for them to track down the four other tags of the Five Seal Barrier…But because of the Mirrored Attacker Jutsu I set up, it should be able to preoccupy one of the two groups…Indefinitely."

-x-

Sasori looked towards the eyes of the Demonic Statue, noticing how they were wide open by this point. All of the orbs lacked pupils except for two of them, symbolising how two Bijuu were already sealed inside from past Akatsuki efforts. Sasori recalled the second of the two sealing's and how it had taken the combined efforts of the organisation members to finish the sealing, and how exhausting and chakra depleting it had been.

Pein's voice broke through his thoughts like a kunai, "We are entering the final stage." This was the part where the past Bijuu had gone completely wild, so Sasori was quite apprehensive in their ability to seal this one.

Kisame gave a slight exclamation, "Yeah, but what are we going to do about those annoying vermin that are coming to rescue the Jinchuriki?"

Zetsu moved his head slightly to the side, "**They are nearing, and faster than we initially anticipated.**"

Pein brushed the comment off, "Not a problem, we have managed to delay them just long enough; we'll just have to ignore them. In any case, we have a backup plan…"

Deidara was, as per usual, the first to state the obvious, "I think he means that it will be up to you and me, Danna, un." He flicked his head to the side, not even bothering to use the red head's actual name in the presence of their colleagues, referring to him with the stupid pet name as per usual.

"In that case, I think we should hurry up and finish here. We will need a few moments afterwards to catch our breath," of course the red head was referring more to Deidara since he didn't require rest, "we will want to be in top form for when we greet our 'guests'."

"Oh yes indeed, Danna~" Deidara gave a wide smirk and a slight chuckle, "We will want to give them a nice warm welcome, un~"

Itachi was quiet – as per usual - and Kisame gave a scoff, "I hate those damn nuisances, they are such a thorn in our sides."

Hidan snickered slightly, "I still can't get over the fact that Kuzu and I can't even find a fucking Jinchuriki!"

"Calm down, Hidan," Kakuzu gave a sigh and closed his eyes, "we each just need to fill in our own part."

"Enough talk," in other words, Pein was banning all speaking until the end of the Jutsu, "concentrate won't you? We can allow no mistakes from this point onwards."

-x-

Sasori noticed that on one of the empty eyes a new pupil was beginning to fuzzily form, slowly but surely.

Pein gave a slight sigh, also noticing this, "It's almost finished…" The trail of chakra that led between Gaara and the statue parted and the last of the red chakra balled in the statuette's mouth. The new pupil wavered slightly before fully forming in only several seconds. "…It is…Complete."

There was a delayed crash as Gaara's corpse fell from where it had been held and slammed into the ground. Sasori couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at having aided in the death of his old friend's son. But of course he didn't show that outwardly. "_Finally_…"

Deidara gave a tired sigh, tilting his head downwards, "So in the end it really did take three full days and nights, un…"

Itachi continued to say nothing and Kisame gave a harsh exclamation, "It keeps getting more and more exhausting with each time…"

Hidan gave a deep groan and rubbed his shoulders, "My joints are all fucking stiff now…"

They were then quiet, as if expecting something more to happen – or they just had nothing more to say. Pein was the one to break the silence, "Well done…Good work everyone…" He looked over at Gaara with little interest before ignoring him completely, turning his attention back to the statue. The new pupil began to slink around, looking at the odd surroundings before the eye slowly closed with the others following suit.

"So who will be the next one that we are to seal, un?" Deidara tilted his head slightly and Hidan was the one to answer the question directed at Pein.

"The Two-fucking-Tails that Kuzu and I are after," Hidan gave a shrug and continued to rub his shoulders, "we gotta seal them in order, or some shit like that."

"Yes," Pein gave a slight nod, "we must seal the Bijuu in the order of the amount of tails they possess. Last time we tried to seal them we didn't do it in order and it ended up setting our goal back several years…"

Sasori gave a low grumble, "Just don't expect to use any of my spies next time; I need all of the ones that I have." He gave a harsh sigh, "Now I will have to create some new spies to go hidden in Sunagakure…I hate that place."

Deidara snickered loudly, "I'm sure that it hates you just as much as you hate it, un."

"Are you kidding?" The red head raised an eyebrow at the blonde, "That wasteland adores me; you just couldn't hear it. You Iwa-Shinobi never understood our land."

The boy sneered at the red head, "It sounds more like you're going insane, Danna. Is your old age starting to catch up to you? You're going senile!"

Before the red head could rebuttal, Kisame gave a chuckle, "And you two have been partners for five years? I thought that you would be friendlier by now."

"Oh, we can be very friendly~" It was an instant reaction and Sasori facepalmed at the statement. The blonde was far too outgoing. "…I mean…" He stifled lightly, recalling the fact that he didn't really want the others to know about their sex life, "We're not usually this bad; being in public just makes Danna a bit more irritable, un."

Sasori was about to argue but he was silenced once they heard a strident bang as the vermin outside tried to break through the barrier, but of course they weren't successful. Pein's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "…They are getting noisy out there…"

Kisame gave a grin and a slight chuckle, "Looks like our expected guests have finally arrived~"

"But," Deidara gave a smirk and a light exhausted sigh, "which group is it now, un? The one which Kisame was stalling…Or maybe-"

The insult directed at Itachi that he had been about to make was interrupted by Zetsu, "**Both…It's both of them.**"

Kakuzu gave a thoughtful look and a sigh, "So they both ended up arriving at the exact same time? That's odd…But it's such a shame that they are too late in fulfilling their mission."

Sasori couldn't help but smirk as he stated what everyone was thinking, "But one of the vermin is a Jinchuriki…The Nine Tails…" The red head was quiet for a few moments of thought before giving a dark laugh, turning to look at the Uchiha, "Now don't get jealous, Itachi," it was common knowledge that Kisame and the raven had both tried to kidnap the Nine Tailed Fox Jinchuriki three years prior. Itachi gave absolutely no reaction, though Sasori could sense the faint bitterness and he simply chuckled darkly once more.

"The Five Seal Barrier should keep them at bay, and the Mirrored Attacker Jutsu should narrow it down to a single team…Which one I cannot say, but most likely the team with the Byakugan user will be the one to go after the tags…" Pein gave a shrug and the group remained silent for a few moments.

Hidan gave a loud sigh and stopped rubbing his sore shoulders, "Well, I think it is time we get this fucking show on the road. There is eager company waiting outside, and also the small fucking issue that we have our own mission to complete."

They all couldn't help but to agree with the idiot – for once. "**Yes…Let's get going**."

Kakuzu gave a slight frown, "But what are we to do about the intruders outside?"

Kisame gave a scoff and rolled his eyes, "I don't think we need to lose any sleep over them," he gave a slight shrug, "we don't even know if they are even capable of getting in here."

"Don't," Itachi finally spoke up, "underestimate them…I thought that you would know better than that, Kisame."

The warning was met with a long sadistic chuckle from the shark man and he grinned widely, "Good point Itachi. Well they certainly have brute strength and determination going for them, I'll give them that much…"

"Sasori, Deidara," both the red head and the blonde turned to face their Leader, giving exclamations of recognition, "I will give you both the privilege of taking_ care_ off our little _friends _outside…"

Deidara gave a smirk and tilted his head slightly, "I had a feeling that you were going to say that, un."

Pein gave a tired sigh and a slow nod, "But I need the Jinchuriki to be captured alive."

Sasori gave a half-hearted scoff and ran a hand through his red hair, "Very well; understood." The red head leaned forward and smirked slightly, knowing that he would be able to fulfil his quota in obtaining a Jinchuriki sooner than expected.

Pein looked around the cavern and gave a sigh, "Everyone else: you are dismissed." The other members gave slight sighs of relief, pleased at finally being able to leave.

Hidan gave the loudest sigh of everyone, "Let's fucking go already!" The hologram of the zealot disappeared and Kakuzu agreed, also vanishing a few moments later.

"Well," Kisame gave a sigh of relief and a nod, "I guess that we will be off as well."

Sasori gave a faint frown and cut in before they disappeared, "Itachi, this Nine Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki…What is he like?"

Itachi was quiet for a few moments, still the air of faint bitterness about him, and Pein had to order him to tell the red head the required information. Konan, as quiet as ever, vanished into thin air and Sasori wasn't aware that it was the last time he would ever see his silent friend. Itachi gave a sigh, "He is the one who bursts in…And _barks_ first…"

Sasori gave a confused sound, raising an eyebrow and Deidara did the same, "Doesn't this Jinchuriki have any other recognizable qualities aside from _barking_, un?" The red head and the blonde snickered, both picturing a random Shinobi barking like a yappy dog. Itachi simply disappeared without giving any more information, "I guess not…How fitting…"

Kisame gave a smirk and rolled his eyes, "Whatever, I guess that is it." He shrugged and gave one last chuckle as he disappeared as well.

Sasori gave an annoyed sneer, narrowing Hiruko's eyes, having always believed that Itachi was actually mature. Pein gave a faint sigh, being the only hologram left, looking first to Deidara and then to Sasori, "I will leave the rest to you; understood?"

The puppet nodded Hiruko's head, giving an exclamation of agreement and Deidara chuckled slightly, "No problem~"

Pein made several quick handsigns and a slow blink, "I shall be waiting for you to report with the Jinchuriki in your possession." There was a buzzing sound as his hologram suddenly vanished and a rumbling as the Demonic Statue suddenly disappeared.

Both Sasori and Deidara leapt from their places, landing on either side of the corpse of Gaara, facing the entrance. The blonde gave a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "What is taking them so long? I wish that the idiots would hurry up and get in here already, un!" Sasori made an agreeing noise but no other verbal talk, making the blonde frown at him and give a slight chuckle, "Is something wrong, Danna? I thought you didn't like to be kept waiting, un…"

Sasori snickered and narrowed Hiruko's eyes, "Yes…I hate waiting…" After a few moments he heard the blonde abruptly collapse onto the floor, and the red head shot him a confused look, "What now, Brat?"

Deidara looked down at his legs, grimacing slightly with a groan, "I don't know; my legs just gave out on me…Well, that's what I get for standing up straight for three days straight!" The blonde chuckled and then shot the red head a sharp smirk, "Can you heal me, un?" Sasori gave a sigh and was about to send chakra at a distance, when the blonde stopped him, "Oh no Danna, I meant for you to get out of that puppet in order to heal me~"

Sasori gave the blonde a dull expression, "Are you trying to get revenge against me for embarrassing you back there? Because you embarrassed me just as much, Brat."

Deidara snickered and rolled his eyes, "Maybe~ But I won't let you heal me unless you come out here, un~ And then I will be completely useless in fighting, and then I might accidentally kill the Jinchuriki, and then Pein will kill us both~"

Sasori gave a groan and opened Hiruko, stepping out of the puppet while giving the blonde a dull look, "You are impossible; I hope you die." Deidara chuckled and leaned backwards as the red head knelt by his legs, placing his hands on them, beginning his Tender Touch Technique to heal the boy's limbs, "Don't forget; in ten days we are going to meet Kabuto, and there is the possibility that Orochimaru may make an appearance."

Deidara gave a nod and chuckled slightly, "So that means that it is our fifth anniversary today~ I think we need to celebrate, un." The blonde abruptly grabbed onto the red head and pulled him upwards, connecting their lips. Sasori, being in puppet form, couldn't actually feel it, though he could sense Deidara's skin against his own and he pressed back faintly for a few moments.

He soon pulled away, giving the blonde a bored gaze, "There are enemies who are going to be breaking into this cavern at any second, Brat; we do not have the time for this."

Deidara rolled his eyes - though he was smirking - and let go of the red head, the latter returning to healing the boy's legs, "Well at least you'll be able to introduce me to your Granny. Wow; that would be awkward, un! 'Hello Granny; I'm evil and I'm gay!'" He chuckled and flexed his legs slightly as Sasori pulled his hands away, "The numbness is beginning to fade as well."

The red head stood and offered the blonde his hand, helping him get to his feet, "How is it?" Deidara tapped one foot against the ground, and then did the same with his other foot, giving a nod.

"Yeah, seems alright to me now, un. Thanks, Danna." The blonde leaned forwards and once again pressed his lips against Sasori's, the red head letting him for several seconds before pulling away. "Oh! I know something that would really freak out the Nine Tails!" Sasori raised an eyebrow at Deidara, and the blonde moved over to Gaara's corpse, dragging it along the ground and turning it lengthwise.

"Do what you like, Brat…As long as it isn't perverted." The red head looked at the body for several seconds before blinking slightly, "Oh, I just realised that we can use the Jinchuriki's arm to replace the one that he crushed…On second thought, I'll get you someone else's as a replacement. I would like to add Gaara to my collection…"

Deidara gave a nod as he sat down on top of the corpse, grinning up at Sasori.

"…Well I'm sure that that will definitely freak the Jinchuriki out…In fact, I think it would freak out anyone other than us…" He gave Deidara a bemused expression, "Actually it's kinda freaking me out as well…" He shrugged and climbed back inside of Hiruko, shutting the puppet's lid with a clack. "The only issue is using your explosives in this cave…You might accidentally bring the roof down on top of us…"

"Oh don't worry," the blonde grinned at the red head, "we can split up, un." Sasori was about to question how, but he was interrupted by an explosion as the rock was abruptly shattered to pieces, sudden light streaming inside of the cavern.

It momentarily blinded the two Akatsuki members with its dazzling display of vanquishing the darkness.


	64. True Art

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty-Four

True Art

A total of four figures leapt through the gap and into the cave.

The Akatsuki member's eyes easily adjusted to the sudden light, able to make out each individual Shinobi. The first was a tall male with grey hair that curved to the side and he only had his right eye revealed, the other covered by his Konohagakure headband. The second had spiky blond hair, and was of about Gaara's age. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit, a Konoha headband and he had odd whisker-like-markings along his cheeks. The third was a girl with short pink hair and a pink outfit, though other than the atrocious colour she was quite plain.

The fourth was a figure that Sasori recognised as his own Granny Chiyo. Her hair was as grey as ever, tied up in a bun, and she had aged greatly over the past twenty years with two liver spots on her countenance and deep wrinkles.

Both Sasori and Chiyo remained staring at one another, their eyes locked in a sharp blink-less glare. "Finally," Deidara gave a sigh, breaking the tension of the room, "now which one of you four is the Jinchuriki?"

Sasori was about to chide the blonde for asking such a stupid question, knowing that whoever was the Jinchuriki would not be stupid enough to admit it at the sight of the other as now a corpse, but he was interrupted by the blond Konoha Shinobi giving a dark growl, "You…" He shuddered violently and gave a loud roar, "YOU BASTARDS! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Both Akatsuki members were not intimidated by the outburst; if anything they were amused by it, "…The one who bursts in and barks first, huh?" Sasori gave a slight smirk, "Well Deidara, I guess Itachi was right on the mark…This must be the Jinchuriki."

The blonde chuckled slightly, highly amused, "Oh my Danna, I think you are correct, un~" There was faint innuendo about the boy's tone, but only Chiyo and Sasori caught onto it, the old woman taken aback faintly by the pet name of Danna - considering that it meant both master and husband.

They were distracted from the topic once Naruto gave another growl, "YOU BASTARDS!" He cringed slightly to try and keep back his rage, but failed to do so, "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SITTING ON?"

Deidara gave a sigh of faux annoyance, though he still smirked, lowering his head slightly, "Well there is our solution to that mystery, un. This kid is - without a doubt - the Jinchuriki…The one who bursts in and barks firsts! Who would have thought?" He looked over at Sasori, continuing his smirk, "Seriously; Itachi was right on the money, un…Huh?"

Deidara waited for a reaction from the red head but the puppet was barely listening, his attention focussed solely on his Granny.

The Jinchuriki seemed to be enough to fill the void however, "GAARA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING JUST LYING THERE?" He was silent for a few moments, but received no reply, "GAARA! ANSWER ME ALREADY! HAVE YOU GONE DEAF? COME ON, KNOCK IT OFF ALREAD-"

"NARUTO!" The grey haired male chided the male, "…You know full well…That he…"

Sasori knew from firsthand experience that the blonde enjoyed making others upset.

"Your friend is correct, and you are aware of it as well, un…This Gaara…He has been dead for quite some time now~" Deidara moved his remaining hand down and he tapped the corpse's cheek several times for extra measure, just making sure to emphasis the moment. The blond grew even angrier and his hair appeared to stand on end. Sasori couldn't help but be distracted by the sight, giving a slight chuckle which Deidara matched, "Yep; that is definitely the Jinchuriki, un~"

Naruto growled, baring his teeth and serrated canines, "Give him back…GIVE GAARA BACK YOU FU-" The boy began to run at the two Akatsuki members with murderous intent, and Sasori was just about ready to grab him with Hiruko's tail when the blond was stopped by his grey-haired partner.

So close.

"Calm down," the male stayed separating the Jinchuriki from the Akatsuki and the red head lost the opportunity to grab him, "if you run in without a plan then we will all end up dead."

Naruto appeared to calm down slightly, listening to his Sensei's intelligent words and the blonde gave a slight chuckle, breaking the sudden intense silence, "Okay then…Now that that is taken care of why don't you go ahead and introduce me to your granny, Danna? I'm so eager to meet her, un~"

Chiyo did not react in any exaggerated way, though her eyes narrowed slightly. Everyone else looked covertly between Sasori and Deidara - except for Naruto who kept his eyes on Gaara.

Sasori shot the younger Akatsuki member a dark glare, though the blonde simply gave him a confused expression, not knowing what he had done wrong, "What's the matter, Danna?"

Sasori gave a low sigh, deciding to change the subject and to not encourage the idiot, "I will hold onto the body…" Deidara gave a questioning noise and the red head continued, "It appears that this Jinchuriki is attached to it and will stop at nothing to get it back…"

Now Gaara was just an it.

The blonde snickered softly and rolled his eyes, "Well isn't that putting it lightly, un…" There was a moment of non-awkward silence before Deidara gave a sigh, "I know that you don't want me to say this, but I'm going to tell you anyway…" The red head was expecting another embarrassing statement, especially when Deidara smirked slyly, so he wasn't expecting… "I think that _I_ will hold onto the body, un."

Sasori narrowed Hiruko's eyes, giving him an absolutely dark look, "Listen; our quota is one per capita," he didn't want the blonde to do his job for him, "I don't think you should push your luck, _Deidara_."

The boy chuckled slightly and said a line which was eerily familiar, "An artist must always seek greater stimulation, lest his senses turn dull…" He turned his head and smirked at the red head, noticeably beginning to chew on some clay with his hand, "…Danna…I've heard rumours that the Nine Tails is quite strong, un…I feel that he is a canvas worthy of my art."

"_What?_ Those stupid little explosives of yours are _not_ art." It wouldn't be a mission without their usual argument, "Art is a work of beauty, left long into the future in the hopes of it lasting forever…" He turned to Deidara, giving a sharp glare, "Art is Eternal, Brat."

"Eternal?" Deidara scoffed and gave a sadistic chuckle, "You have to be kidding me, un!" He sighed and slowly shook his head, "Look Danna, as a fellow artist and your _partner_," the blonde spoke the last part with exaggerated innuendo which simply annoyed the red head further, "I certainly 'respect' your own interpretation…But true art is fleeting!" Deidara gave a content look and an actual smile, "A blaze of beauty burning blindingly bright, and then dying within the sound of a single heartbeat…"

Sasori gave a sneer and shot Deidara a glare, "What did you say, Brat?" They were quiet for several seconds, glaring at one another, not even listening to the confusion of the other Shinobi, "Apparently – Deidara - one of us does not understand the definition of_ true_ art…"

The blonde scoffed, rolling his eyes and smirking widely, "I absolutely agree; and that would be you, un~" He adjusted faintly on the corpse into a more comfortable position and folded his one arm in defiance.

"Don't be an idiot!" Sasori growled at the blonde in ire, "Eternal beauty is the only thing which can be dubbed as true art!"

"Now you're just being stubborn, un!" Deidara snickered loudly and they were beyond the point of glaring, "True art only lasts for a moment!"

"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" The Jinchuriki's roar was barely heard by the two artists, though both of them were aware of his attack. He summoned a giant windmill shuriken from a scroll and sent it flying at the two Akatsuki members.

Sasori only had to flick a finger to control Hiruko's tail, shooting it forwards to knock the weapon away from them as if it were no more than an annoying bug, returning instantly to the argument, "Are you _trying_ to make me _angry_, Brat?"

The blonde got defensive, putting his one hand up to try and calm the red head down, "Hey now; easy Danna! I did warn you that you wouldn't like it, did I not? Cut me some slack already, will you, un?"

The red head took advantage of having Hiruko's tail already out, curling the limb with the poisonous tip revealed in an overly threatening position, speaking with a cruel smirk and even a hint of his _own_ innuendo.

"Do I have to remind you what happens when I get angry, _Brat_?" He made several mock jabbing motions with Hiruko's tail, poison dripping from the tip with Sasori still smirking inside of the puppet, "Why don't you go ahead and _clarify_ it again? I _dare_ you to see what happens…_I really do~_"

Deidara rolled his eyes, completely unaffected by the threat, standing up with little hassle now that his legs were fully rested. "Fine then, I will…Art is one thing and one thing only…" He looked at his single hand as it finished chewing the small portion of clay, spitting it out so that he could begin to mould it. He opened his palm to reveal a small bird which he proceeded to toss into the air, making a half ram seal, "Art is an explosion!"

There was a puff of smoke and the clay bird expanded until it was the same size as the owl had been, fluttering down to the ground. Deidara snickered as the creation leaned downwards and picked up the corpse of Gaara, appearing to swallow it like an actual bird.

"It doesn't even compare to your petty little puppet show, Danna!" Sasori sneered, rage bubbling inside of him, flinging Hiruko's tail forward to try and impale the blonde. Deidara easily managed to leap upwards, landing on the back of his bird and evading Sasori's puppet's tail, the blonde laughing as he succeeded in surviving the red head's wrath – as he always did. "See you around, Danna~"

Deidara didn't even send Sasori a final glance, not believing for a single second that it might be the last time that he ever saw the creepy puppet and his red headed lover.

The bird flew out of the gap, taking Deidara with it, and the red head gave a dark growl.

Damn you to hell, Deidara.

The Jinchuriki gave a roar and turned, taking the bait and speeding after the blonde. Sasori narrowed his eyes while giving a menacing growl, "Deidara you idiot! I don't _believe_ this…"

Kakashi gave a groan, "NARUTO!" He began to run after the Jinchuriki, though quickly stopped, skidding across the water's surface of the in-cavern pool, looking over at the two females, "Naruto and I will take the one out there; Sakura and Lady Chiyo, I'll leave you to handle the one inside…But I beg you, don't do anything rash until Team Gai gets back."

Sasori watched as the male ran off and he finally realised the blonde's plan.

They had agreed that Deidara could not possibly fight within the cavern due to the possibility of his explosives collapsing the cave on top of them. The blonde had even said about splitting up, but the red head had not expected such a flamboyant, idiotic-

…Oh who was he trying to fool; this was exactly like something that Deidara would pull!

Though the histrionic blonde had definitely not intended for Kakashi to follow him; he probably thought that the red head would easily have been able to handle three Shinobi at once, which of course he would have been able to on any other occasion…But against Chiyo, the woman who had taught him his puppeteer skills, not to mention his own blood relative who had taken him in when he had had no other family…He didn't know.

The red head gave a sigh and straightened up within the puppet, not knowing if he should or should not look forward to the fight ahead of him. The pink haired girl seemed petrified, but Chiyo immediately took several steps forward, "Sakura, you must be brave. I am here with you, all you have to do is stay behind me and watch."

She dug her hands into her sleeves and drew out a long line of kunai knives, holding them upwards on a singe chakra thread, points aimed at Sasori. They soon went flying.

The red head could have easily knocked them all out of the way, despite the fact that some had changed course during their flight, but he only stopped the deadly aimed kunai knives, swatting them from the air with Hiruko's tail. "If you are going to play like that, Granny, then you leave me no other option." The knives had succeeded in ripping apart his Akatsuki cloak, revealing Hiruko's true form from beneath, "I see that you want to join my collection, along with that boy that my partner has temporary hold of…"

The pink haired girl began to question Chiyo concerning Hiruko's body, "That isn't Sasori's real self, Sakura; it is a puppet…The real Sasori is hidden inside of it…Puppet masters are not good at close combat whilst controlling their marionettes, and we are left wide open for attack. Sasori created this puppet to compensate for that; it is his armour and his weapon. It is Sasori's favourite puppet, Hiruko." Well now wasn't that a lie; his favourite was Jishaku, the Third Kazekage…The old hag probably didn't even know that it was in his possession! Figures… "I know a lot about this puppet…"

Sasori scoffed, knowing perfectly well that Chiyo barely even knew Hiruko's capabilities, "Do you want to know how I made him? And all of my other puppets for that matter?" They were silent, so he continued anyway, "First I drain all the blood from my victim, taking out their entrails and leaving the heart to the side. I then carve out the flesh, making it nice and clean~ And then, after I have remodelled the heart and added some preservatives, I can then string up a brand new marionette; fit only for my oeuvre…" He sighed, "As the hag said, this puppet is known as Hiruko; but he is only one of the specimens that resides within my collection. And once I have collected both you and the girl," well, maybe not the girl; Gaara would be far better suited, "I will have exactly three hundred…This…_Is my Art_!"

Chiyo's expression crinkled into a scowl, "You call it art now, do you?" Sakura asked the woman what she referred to, "Long ago - when he still lived in Sunagakure - Sasori was held in high esteems for being a master craftsman…He was admired for his many extraordinary puppets…But his true passion turned out to be making puppets from the living, and then adding them to his collection…"

Sasori couldn't help but smirk, guessing that Sunagakure had found out about the extent of his hobby after he had left.

"And he called this monstrous disregard for human life…'Art'…That puppet there, Hiruko…He was a Shinobi who lived in a nearby village; Sasori converted him into what you see now…A puppet that retains the shell of its physical form. It's called a human puppet…"

She left out so much information, like how Hiruko had actually been quite a dear friend of the red head's, how he had known him for so long before he had converted him! How Sasori had betrayed him, but how through his betrayal he had made him into a work of true art. Did she even know what the red head had done to his own body just a year after he had left Sunagakure?

Her grandson had died long ago.

"And the same fate awaits you; you will soon become one of my many works of art…" Sasori frowned once he detected a strange chakra thread on Hiruko's tail…Very faint but he could tell that it belonged to Chiyo…So when she had thrown those kunai, that had also been one of her targets…He could easily dispel it, but he was curious to see what the woman would do with it…

So Sasori ignored it.

The red head had been thinking while the two females had been talking amongst each other, so he only listened to the second half of what they were saying. Chiyo was talking about how Sasori had changed the shell on Hiruko's back, and how he had added an odd new mechanism to the puppet's left arm, plus there were probably new hidden mechanisms as well.

Sasori grew tired of them talking as if he wasn't even there, though he knew that if he were to lash out at them it might give the two kunoichi an advantage…

So Sasori just started to think to himself about a certain someone who he could never truly take his mind off of; or even his hands. He could sense that Deidara was still just outside the cave, though he would probably fly off soon. The stupid Brat was far too reckless; he was loud, obnoxious, irritating, stupid, annoying, extremely beautiful when the sun shone on his hair at a certain angle, frustrating, ira- What the fuck had that been?

The red head was distracted when he finally caught onto his Granny's words as she took her hair out of the trademark bun, "Even his experience doesn't compare to mine…Sasori knows this, which is why he hesitates and doesn't attack as hastily…For someone who hates waiting…This must be really frustrating…" Oh god, she was still yammering on; didn't these women ever shut the hell up? They talk more than- No! Stop thinking about him for five minutes! "What he doesn't know is…I've already made the first move…"

If she was referring to the chakra string she had put on Hiruko's tail, then the old hag was seriously underestimating his skills…Or going senile. Either way it was quite annoying. Chiyo motioned to Sakura, mentioning something about a secret and she irksomely began to whisper.

"What the hell are they up to?" Sasori gave a growl of irritation as they continued to talk amongst themselves, and the red head could not take it any more, "Enough!" They both turned to face him before nodding to one another and it seemed the fight would at last begin. "…Are we all ready? Yes? You must be fully aware of the fact that I cannot stand waiting…."

"Don't worry…" Chiyo's eyes narrowed slightly at him and she tilted her head forward, "We won't waste any more of your time." Sasori gave a smirk and ripped the bandana from Hiruko's jaw as the two kunoichi bolted towards him.

The red head immediately opened his puppet's mouth and began to spit a barrage of senbon at the women. They both began to expertly dodge the poisoned needles and Sasori decided that he needed to step it up a notch, lifting up Hiruko's left arm and firing the mechanical addition at the two kunoichi. It shot between the women and Sasori's sadistic smirk widened, "DIE!"


	65. Sasori vs the Kunoichi

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty Five

Sasori vs. the Kunoichi

The small cases shot from the mechanical addition, parting to reveal that each contained a barrage of senbon needles. They went flying at the two females and Sasori watched with almost horror as they both managed to dodge every single senbon.

The red head's smirk fell and he glared darkly at the two bitches, baring his teeth in a vicious sneer. Dammit…He could understand Chiyo managing to dodge them, but he had not expected the brat to survive without even a scratch from the various poisoned senbon. The pinkette lurched forward and sprinted towards Hiruko, which caused Sasori to instinctively fling his puppet's tail at the girl.

Unfortunately he had long since forgotten about the single chakra string that had been attached to his puppet's tail when Chiyo had thrown those kunai knives at him. Just when he was a mere inch away from stabbing the girl through the face, Hiruko's tail abruptly still…

Of course…

There was a sickening cracking sound as the girl's fist connected with the puppet that the red head had made twenty years ago; the one thing that had remained constant ever since he had left his village.

Hiruko smashed on impact.

Sasori instinctively grabbed onto one of the various black blankets that had lined his puppet, covering himself with it as he jumped from the wreckage of his friend. Dammit; he had wanted the fight to last for a bit, but he had not wished for Hiruko to get destroyed in the process. With the loss of the puppet he had also lost his public identity.

Plus his bracelets were inside of it…

Sasori landed on the opposite side of the cave - where not long before the Demonic Sealing statue had stood - with the blanket still masking his true form. He was quiet for a few moments, before flexing his hand and attaching strings to Hiruko's head, making it fly into the air. One last barrage of senbon needles shot out at the pinkette, though Chiyo managed to drag her out of the way before any could hit her.

Hiruko's head fell uselessly to the ground - breaking the smile that the puppet had constantly worn - and slowly Sasori straightened up, scowling slightly at nothing in particular, "Bravo~ I expected no less from my own Granny…" Sasori mentally scolded himself for not getting rid of the single chakra string that had been attached to Hiruko's tail, and he now regretted his arrogance, "I admit that I was surprised by the fact that even the girl managed to dodge my attacks, but no wonder…The old hag who has the ability to read my moves was controlling her with chakra strings." Sasori should have seen such a feat; and yet he had been too captivated on his own thoughts - damn you Deidara! Even when he wasn't there he was somehow managing to make the red head's life a living hell! "You even attached a single string of chakra to Hiruko's tail while you were at it…Silly _me_; I noticed only when the tail stalled on me." He spoke with bitter sarcasm that went unnoticed by the two kunoichi, "You did it when you threw those kunai knives at me; it must have been attached to one that hit Hiruko's tail."

"Very good, Sasori! I used the tiniest amount of chakra possible in order to evade detection," she smiled at the red head and spoke as if one of them would not soon be dead; as if nothing bad had ever happened between the relatives, "but you managed to figure it out so quickly…"

Sasori scowled slightly, though he decided not to reveal that he had known of the chakra string all along; let her have her moment of glory, it would be her last. "But of course~" His scowl was replaced by a light smirk, "Remember who it was who taught me how to play with puppets~ Remember who it was that drilled the talent into my being…" Sasori took hold of the dismal black cloth, "It was all your doing…"

It was her fault.

_That _was theburden that _she_ bore.

"Yes it was…" Chiyo's eyes narrowed slightly and she moved into a stronger fighting stance, "But play time is over, Sasori! I haven't seen my grandson in twenty years; I want to see your face!"

The red head chuckled slightly and continued to hold his smirk, "You don't know how right you are, old hag~" With one fluid motion, he ripped the black blanket from over his self in a dramatic act, revealing his sixteen year old body to the shocked kunoichi and his only living relative, "So…Do you still think this will be as easy as you perceived it to be…Granny Chiyo?"

He dropped the black cloth onto the ground, still wearing a light smirk - made slightly wider by the sight of the two horrified expressions received by the two females. The pink haired girl - Sakura or something like that - turned to the old woman, her movements notably jittery, "Lady Chiyo…This is Sasori…Right?"

"…I don't understand…Your face is exactly the same!" She gaped at Sasori in utterly mortified disbelief, "You haven't aged a day!"

Well…Actually he had aged a year since he had left Sunagakure at fifteen and he had then converted himself when he had been sixteen…

Never mind, the woman was going senile anyway. Sasori gave a snicker and activated the seal within his right Akatsuki sleeve, the scroll containing his most controversial puppet dropping into his hand, "Here, let me show you the real favourite member of my oeuvre~ This one was quite hard to attain, but I managed~" Sasori unrolled the scroll, and ran chakra through the symbol of 'three' which was inked in the centre of the crisp white paper, "But I guess that is what really makes me so fond of him!"

There was a puff of smoke and in the next moment the puppet Jishaku was leaning over the red head's shoulder for both kunoichi to stare at in awe. The pinkette did not understand the significance, but Sasori relished the look of absolute horror that engulfed Chiyo's expression, "No…That's impossible…"

Sakura was taken aback by the old hag's response, swiftly shifting her head to look at the woman, "What? What's wrong?"

Chiyo continued to stare at the duo of the red head and his puppet, looking between each, trying to speak for a few moments before finally regaining the ability, "That's…That's the Third Kazekage!"

Sasori chuckled sadistically, more pleased by this reaction than the one which he had received after revealing his boyish appearance, "What do you think? Doesn't this just take you back, Granny Chiyo? So then; let's begin this."

There were a few moments of silence and the red head became annoyed as they once again began to talk as opposed to continuing the fight, shown as the pink haired girl questioned the old hag as to the significance of Sasori possessing the puppet. "The Third Kazekage…It happened over ten years ago." Fifteen to be exact, she really was going senile; Granny had to be in her early seventies by now… "He just vanished into thin air one night…" The pinkette gave a gasp and the old hag gave the red head the most intense glare that he had ever received from the woman…If looks could kill… "Sasori…It was _you_?"

"Yeah, and what if it was?" The red head snickered and gave a smirk at the woman, still irritated by the lack of any action, "I'm not afraid of you anymore; a retired old hag with one foot already in the grave and bearing a thirst for revenge. It's pathetic…You can't even touch me."

Chiyo sneered at him, Sasori always having spoken to her respectably when he had been young, "I may be retired, and I might have one foot in the grave, but it has never stopped me before! I'm still alive and there are too many things in life that must still be done!" Sasori glowered at her faintly, hating her stupid determination, "It's one thing to have my grandson degrading himself by becoming a _common criminal_…But to betray the village? Taking part in the deaths of three Kazekages? It's unacceptable!"

…He might have been a criminal, but he was anything but common.

A Shinobi like Sasori came around only once in an Eternity.

Sasori was about to defend himself, but he was interrupted by the stupid pinkette questioning his Granny, "Huh? Three Kazekages?"

"Orochimaru was the one who killed Gaara' father, the Fourth Kazekage, but I am now positive that Sasori was involved!" She scowled darkly at the red head, though she had miraculously recovered from the initial hatred of seeing the red head using Jishaku's body as a puppet, "And now with Gaara and the Third Kazekage! How could you do such a thing!"

The Akatsuki member narrowed his eyes slightly and his smirk fell to a straight line, "Now wait a minute; as hard as it is to believe, I was not involved in the assassination of the Fourth…It was the result of one of my agents and that snake." Yes, Kabuto had played a part in the death of Takeo, most likely under the orders of Orochimaru… "But Orochimaru and the Akatsuki are anything but strangers…I have personally done some work with him; we did many good deeds together…"

Before he took the red head's Uzumaki scrolls, before he abandoned him, before Sasori developed this intense hatred for that fucking snake.

At the mention of the red head's work with Orochimaru, the pinkette gave a gasp and she began to also glare at the Akatsuki member, "…You…You worked with Orochimaru…? Then you have all the answers that I'm looking for!"

Sasori gave the girl an obvious look and doubted her intelligence after he had just blatantly revealed that he had indeed worked with the snake, and his smirk returned with a slight scoff, "I would just adore to remain here and to have a friendly little chit chat – honestly - but unfortunately I must eliminate the both of you and go capture that Jinchuriki that my partner so irksomely tried to take from me. I just hate to keep people waiting; I have no time for your game of twenty-billion questions…So then…Let us begin."

-x-

There was a loud explosion as the pinkette actually used a paper bomb in order to escape from the red head's poisonous smog. She went flying across the room, barely managing to get caught by Chiyo before she hit the ground. The old hag stood her up and began to pat her on the back in order to help the winded kunoichi. Sasori gave a sigh and shook his head, smirking slightly, "Oh well~"

Sakura shot him a dark look, scowling deeply at the older red head, "You…I'M GOING TO GET YOU! YOU CAN TEAR ALL OF MY LIMBS OFF! YOU CAN POISON ME UNTIL I'M PERMANENTLY PARALYSED! IT DOESN'T MATTER; I'LL STILL GET YOU!" Sasori gave an expression of distaste, reminding himself that she was from Konoha; they were all idiots who couldn't do something as basic as controlling their emotions, "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU'VE GOT! I'LL DRAG YOU TO THE BRINK OF DEATH AND MAKE YOU CRY AND SCREAM EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT OROCHIMARU! SO BE-"

Sasori had had enough of the annoying droning, especially with the way she acted as if she were better than the red head. She was not better; neither of the kunoichi was better than he was.

After many years, Sasori was at last at the very top, and he would never be beaten. He flicked a few fingers and a barrage of kunai knives shot out of the mass of wooden arms, aimed at the two women.

They did not meet their intended targets however, and Sasori was taken aback slightly by the sight of the two puppets that the old hag had summoned…

"When a woman is talking, a man should always listen politely. I thought I taught you better than that." The red head thought the obvious but he did not state it; the fact that he had seldom been around women ever since he had left Sunagakure.

A year with Kurow and one mission with Konan had been the most female interactions he had had. And then he thought the second obvious, that being whether he could actually consider the pinkette as a 'woman'; Deidara was clearly older than her and the red head still considered him to be a 'boy' as opposed to a 'man'.

His attention was drawn from the comment as he recalled the sight of the two puppets ahead of him, and he gave a slight frown, "Oh…_Those_…"

He spoke the word with utter bitterness.

It was Chiyo's time to give a slight smirk, "Ah, so you _do_ remember them~ That's right, these are the first two puppets that you ever made~" Sasori gave an aloof look at the two creations, having completely forgotten about them ever since he had abandoned them at such a young age. "The Mother and the Father!"

Sasori looked coldly at his old puppets; he seldom thought of his parents anymore. He couldn't even remember them. They had died when he had been only five years old and he had both made the puppets and abandoned them in the same year.

He did have a good memory, but even he couldn't remember much of his life before he became a Genin…

Except for the waiting…

The never ending wait that had given the red head his hatred for it now.

"So what do you plan to do with those old things? I made them, I know all of their weak points; using them against me is just plain stupid." Chiyo didn't even say a word, giving a sad expression before the fight continued.

-x-

Sasori's father puppet had been crippled by Jishaku's iron sand, and now only his mother puppet was left to protect both kunoichi. "Now…This time I'll attack both of you at once, and just to make sure that it really kills you, I'll use my most lethal forms." The iron sand materialised and clung together until it had changed into a series of sharp needles, half aimed at Chiyo and the other half aimed at the pinkette, "One puppet cannot possibly protect two people~ What do you say to that, you old hag?" Sasori chuckled and gave a sadistic smirk, "Let's see which one of you will DIE!"

The iron sand spheres shot down at the two kunoichi and a cloud of dusty smoke rose as they collided. After a few seconds the smog cleared and Sasori was taken aback by the sight. Both females were still alive! The mother puppet had used a chakra shield in order to protect the pinkette, and Chiyo…

Chiyo's arm had four attachments spreading out of it, creating a chakra shield that had protected her…Interesting…Sasori had not been the only one who had seen the benefits of a puppet body…

"It might be only an arm…But rigging your own body with puppet parts?" Sasori gave an intelligent smirk at the woman, giving a slight chuckle, "We puppet masters…We're all of a kind, right? We think alike…" He gave another sadistic chuckle before continuing his knowing smirk at the woman who had raised him for ten years. Ten long years.

She stared back at him and her expression abruptly changed as she finally realised the truth behind the red head's sixteen year old appearance.

Her countenance was not horrified any longer, just simply…Disappointed…"Of course…" He arm was laced with iron sand now; it was useless, "Now I understand…So that is what you did…"

Sasori just continued to smirk giddily at the old hag, unable to repress his feelings of self righteousness.

That child hood instinct of impressing others was still in his being, and it felt so good to satisfy the desire. No wonder Deidara was always looking for acceptance from the red head; it was utter euphoria.

Chiyo knew everything now; she knew that he was a criminal; she knew that he was a monster; she knew that he was a puppet, and she knew that he was no longer Sasori Yoshiko.

He was Sasori of the Red Sand.

His thoughts were disturbed by a clacking sound as Chiyo's arm disconnected from her body, dropping uselessly to the floor. "Once infested with Iron Sand, a puppet is crippled and utterly useless. So now you are all out of marionettes…What are you planning to do now, Granny Chiyo~?" She continued to stare at him in absolute hopelessness while Sasori just continued to smirk, giving a low chuckle, "Even the world's greatest puppet masters are nothing without a puppet~"

Chiyo gave a hopeless frown, looking away from the red head as she did so, remorse highly evident in her tone, "Why did I let it come to this…? How could I have been so blind…? Now what can I do?"

Sasori gave a slight chuckle and wondered exactly what part of his life did Chiyo regret the most.

Teaching him how to play with puppets? Telling him that she was proud of him for killing his friend? Or perhaps she was regretting letting him leave the village without a fight after he had shown her Hiruko? Whatever it was, Sasori would never know.

Perhaps she simply regretted the day that he had been born.

-x-

This was getting tiring; Chiyo had once again resorted to using the pinkette as a puppet, and the girl had monstrous strength, easily batting away Sasori's giant iron sand shapes as if they were nothing.

The red head sneered in irritation, "This girl is a pain in my neck; if things keep on like this I will still be fighting by the time Deidara gets back…I'll have to waste some chakra, but this should finish her off…IRON SAND; WORLD ORDER!" The two large shapes of iron sand crash together, starting a chain reaction where the iron sand spread everywhere like a web of metal spikes.

Light suddenly streamed into the cavern as the attack continued to expand, piercing straight through the roof, causing it to collapse. Well…So much for his plan of separating with the blonde just so his explosives couldn't make the roof cave in…

Sasori gave a slight frown, sensing that the blonde was no longer just outside the cave, and he guessed that he was luring the Jinchuriki away, or perhaps he had just not wanted the red head to finish and spoil his fun too soon.

Chiyo was out of range of the attack, but she hadn't been the intended victim. The dust cleared and the iron sand stopped morphing, revealing the extent of the damage, "SAKURA!" Sasori saw the pinkette stand up, limping slightly as she walked forward, "SAKURA, ARE YOU OKAY?" She clutched at her arm and Sasori felt the sadistic smirk curve his lips, "SHE'S BEEN INJURED!"

"Didn't I tell you from the very start?" Sasori's smirk widened heartlessly wider, "I told you that there was more to it…"

"The iron sand!" She gave a dark look at the red head, sneering harshly, "It is coated in poison!" Sakura managed to walk a few more paces before abruptly collapsing onto the rocky ground, face first.

Sasori chuckled pitilessly, preparing his puppet strings, "The poison is beginning to take effect…It will numb the body pretty quickly…Left alone she might survive for a maximum of three days…But I think I'll kill her now!" Unlike Kankuro, this girl was not related to Karura; she wasn't even from Sunagakure, so he had no qualms in killing her, "It's over…Little girl."

Chiyo was caught and made immobile underneath some heavy rubble, so she was unable to do anything. Sasori sent Jishaku straight for the girl, revealing a sharpened blade and he was prepared to kill the brat. Just when death looked imminent for the pinkette, everything changed…


	66. 140 Puppets and a Half

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty Six

140 Puppets and a Half

Within a flash the girl had got to her feet and she had smashed her fist squarely into the red head's puppet. Sasori stared in shook as pieces of Jishaku went flying in all directions as the marionette was suddenly destroyed. What the…The pinkette jumped over to Chiyo, freeing her from the debris, "Sakura…How?"

With Jishaku destroyed the iron sand immediately began to crumble from its series of web-like structures. Sasori narrowed his eyes in suspicion, scowling lightly in distaste and annoyance. What the hell was going on? How was the brat still able to move? Was the old hag still controlling her with puppet strings? No, that wasn't it…She couldn't manipulate such intricate motions in her condition…Somehow that brat was able to move on her own…But how was that even possible?

His poison had definitely affected her…

The pinkette smiled reassuringly at the old woman, speaking to her calmly though Sasori soon frowned as he lost interest in the conversation, instead relying on his mind to work out what had happened. There was no way that the poison could have been neutralized…

He then remembered back to the Kankuro kid and how the red head had poisoned him and then had let him live…Did they use the poison that he used in that fight…?

Impossible; even if they had been able to separate the various components, they wouldn't have been able to prepare an antidote so quickly or so easily. The antidote was extremely meticulous to concoct…If there was even the slightest mistake…

Even Sasori had to reference the mix-ratio table, and he had invented it!

…Did the old hag do it? No; Sasori possessed more medical skill than any one else in the conceited Sand Village! He certainly had greater prowess than the old witch.

There was simply no way in hell that the woman could have made an antidote for a poison so intricate! He noticed then that the pinkette was currently using the Mystic Palm Technique on Chiyo's arm, causing Sasori to narrow his eyes suspiciously. This kid was a medical nin as well…And she was from Konohagakure; the Leaf Village…The old slug known as Tsunade was the current Hokage of the place; she was world famous for being a medical nin.

Sasori was taken aback as the epiphany hit him like a tone of bricks, but he quickly regained his composure, continuing his menacing scowl. That's it…The pinkette had made the antidote!

She must have been trained by the Slug Queen herself; it would be the most befitting explanation…My, for Granny Chiyo to actually be in league with a girl who was the acolyte of Tsunade…She was the one who was betraying herself; ever since the red head had been little the woman had despised the Slug Queen for her ability to concoct antidotes to her poisons…

Then again, he and Deidara were natural enemies. Sasori had been from Sunagakure, while the blonde had been from Iwagakure. The two nations bore deep grudges against one another; they were always at each other's throats.

But they had abandoned their old villages, and in their relationship they had found another way to defy their heritage.

The red head gave a sigh and began to plan out his options, preferring to think out a plan as opposed to being spontaneous. He frowned at the duo as they prepared themselves, and he moved his hand up to his collar.

Sasori admitted that the brat was pretty good…Well…For a girl with pink hair, anyway. It would just be a waste to use his other puppets; he had two scrolls containing most of his collection attached to his back. One contained his best ten puppets, while the other contained one hundred and forty of the rest of his best. The other puppets were in a scroll which had been inside Hiruko, but the puppet was now lost under a tonne of debris. He would have to find it after he killed these two kunoichi and the Jinchuriki.

Sasori almost groaned as he thought of the tasks which awaited him after he finally won this persistent fight; firstly he would have to retrieve his belongings from Hiruko's remains, such as his medical pouch and bracelets, then he would have to go after the blonde without the security of his carapace puppet, and then he would have to find both a new favourite puppet and a new marionette to hide away inside. He would have to replace both Hiruko and Jishaku with equal or greater puppets, a feat which seemed to the red head practically impossible.

Plus there was the meeting with Kabuto and possibly Orochimaru…

How tedious…

He didn't want to go through with the hassle of having to repair or replace any more puppets; it would just end up being a waste! But he did have a trick up his sleeve…The puppet that he was most comfortable in handling and controlling…

Sasori began to pull apart the clip of his Akatsuki cloak, slowly but surely unbuttoning the outfit, not knowing that he would never again be adorned in the uniform that he had been wearing for the past fifteen years. "I haven't been forced to solve an issue in such a way as this ever since I joined the Akatsuki…" The cloak crumpled as it fell, abandoned on the ground at his feet as he revealed his non-human body from beneath. There was a series of clicks as his spinning claw blades unfolded, falling into position, and his stomach cable curled out of the hollowed out area. The end dug into the ground and Sasori nonchalantly stepped onto the cord, lifting himself into the air for a better view of the battlefield. "I wonder how long it has been…"

Fifteen years actually; during his fight with the Third Kazekage…Though he didn't count the times when he had stabbed both Orochimaru and Deidara with his stomach cable. Chiyo gave a sneer, having worked it out earlier - though now since it was revealed she was correct, the old hag couldn't help but explain, "Now I get it…The reason as to why he looks exactly the same…Of course time has no apparent affect on him! The reason is in front us…"

Sasori gave a slight chuckle and his eyes widened, giving him a maniacal appearance, "Oh yes indeed~ It has been far too long…Since I last use _myself!_"

He caught onto the expressions which both kunoichi were giving him and the red head gave a smirking grin.

"_Is something wrong? _I apologize sincerely, but weren't you supposed to have finished me off already? How petty…" Both females simply remained silent, and Sasori's grin lessened slightly out of boredom, lifting his two arms slowly into the air, palms facing the two, "Well, in the case that neither of you are going to attack me any time soon…" There was a click as the jets emerged from his palms and he connected them to the fire scroll on his back, "THEN I'LL MAKE THE FIRST MOVE!"

He flicked his entire arms, activating the jets, streams of fire beginning to flood from his palms straight at the two women. They both dodged his initial attack, leaping behind separate large rocks that had previously helped to form the roof of the cavern.

Sasori's insane smirk rekindled and he gave a loud - almost mad - laugh, "YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN HIDE FROM ME?" They continued to kneel behind the rocks, but the red head continued to aim his intense jets of flames at the two stones, knowing that it was just a matter of time, _"Well now~ I wonder what you're going to do now~"_

His jets paused for a second and the pinkette used it as an advantage to jump out, tossing a kunai at him and then ducking behind another rock. Sasori's flamethrowers started once again and the fire easily melted the metal of the kunai knife to nothing before it could reach the red head. The fire began to melt the rocks as well, causing lava to begin to form and seep over the stones. Chiyo jumped away from her hiding spot to another and Sasori immediately aimed the jet at the new location.

At a slight pause, both kunoichi jumped to hide behind the same large rock and then they soon both jumped out again. Sasori was getting too annoyed to bother aiming for just one, and he quickly aimed his jets at the jumping Chiyo, "TIME TO DIE, HAG!" The woman turned to look at him, giving a slight gasp before getting caught within the flame.

For a split second Sasori thought that he had finally killed her, but after a few seconds some flaming rocks tumbled down to the ground instead of her charred remains. Dammit, a substitution! He quickly looked in the other direction, seeing the real Chiyo and a burst of iron sand as the head of Jishaku came flying out of the grains, "LET'S FINISH THIS, BOY!"

Sasori snickered and his smirk widened as the Third Kazekage's head came closer and he put out his hand, "You wish!" The flames instantly ate away at the head of the puppet until it was nothing and he sneered while smirking, "I figured you would pull something like that! You attached a chakra thread during our last little bout! But that trick will definitely not work the second time~ How unfortunate for you, right~?" He lifted his arms back up and resumed their game of Sasori firing flames at them while they rightfully coward behind large rocks. He retracted his hands after a while as the scroll he was using ran out of stored flame and the paper burst into shreds, "What's wrong? Don't you want to play with me~? Well fine then…" He activated the scroll which stored water inside it, re-aiming his jets before firing.

Chiyo immediately shouted out a warning once she recognised that it was water and once the liquid met the molten rock a burst of steam filled the air. The rock was weakened against the water and the jets easily broke through, though the pinkette managed to dodge before getting hit. Sasori began to run in a straight line, turning his wrists right around in order to focus the power of the jet into a more concentrated blast.

It broke through rocks, ran up the walls and was powerful enough to make a cloud in the sky completely disintegrate. Rocks began to rain down over the ground of the two females and Sasori began to slice through, hoping to hit either of the kunoichi with each swing he made. Several rocks continued to fall, but unfortunately the scroll containing the red head's water element became used up, bursting into shreds.

Sasori retracted the jets from his palms, giving the two women an irritated look though with the same insane eyes, "So how long are you planning to dance around for?" He was greeted with no response and he gave a slight sadistic chuckle, "Fine then; be that way~"

Sasori's smirk reformed and he made a few motions before he shot his stomach cable out, aiming for the pinkette. She gasped and managed to dodge a fatal injury, though he still pierced her side in what was most definitely a painful wound. The spike buried itself into the rocks and Sasori used it as leverage, pulling himself into the air, flying straight at Chiyo.

"DIE!" He began to make the blades on his back spin murderously fast and the red head intended to slice the woman to shreds with them. HE DIDN'T EVEN CARE ABOUT MAKING HER INTO A PUPPET ANYMORE! He just wanted her DEAD! Sasori became aware of the sound of scraping and he looked down to see that his stomach cord was being drawn by the girl. Useless! She didn't have enough time to drag out all of the cord; Chiyo would be long since dead by then.

His blades were a mere inch away from butchering the woman into tiny bits when he abruptly stopped moving against his will. "HEY YOU!" Sasori looked over to the pinkette who had successfully pulled the contents of his stomach cavern out of his body. "GET OVER HERE!" She suddenly lurched the red head away from Chiyo and began to swing him around the cavern before pulling him down to her.

Sasori watched as she readied her fist for the inevitable blow, and he could do absolutely nothing. Her fist collided with the space just above his stomach cavity, hitting nothing important.

Sasori couldn't fell any pain as his body parts became dismembered, flying everywhere across the room. He lost sight completely as his heart also became disconnected, tumbling onto the rocks without any harm inflicted upon it. For a split second the red head wondered whether he should just remain like that for a while; let them leave thinking that he was dead?

…

No way! Then they would go straight for Deidara; the blonde was good, but not that good. He would never be able to handle the four enemies, and Sasori's pride would not let him play dead.

Hmmm…He needed to think of a better strategy…

Sasori sent chakra strings out through the vein-like extensions of his heart container, attaching them to the various parts of his body. He drew them all back together, clicking joints in place and moving his nucleus back into the chest cavity, the veins digging into the structure of his puppet torso. His body reassembled and lastly his head attached itself to his body, spinning until he was once again looking at the enemy, "Now now, what are you so _happy_ about?"

The pinkette stared at him in shock while Chiyo just gave him a serious expression, "That's right…" She lifted up her right arm and used a chakra string to retrieve her missing puppet limb, reattaching it to her body, ridding it of the iron sand which was now no more annoying than dust, "The fun has only just begun." Sasori stretched his limbs slightly, swaying slightly to make sure that everything was in the right place and that none of the joints had been damaged. Chiyo moved her hand into the pouch at her waist and drew out a single scroll, "I even forbade myself use of this Jutsu…I never imagined that I would use it again after all this time…" Sasori lowered his eyebrows slightly in suspicion, wondering what she was going to do, "But it seems against you I have to…" She pulled the scroll open, revealing a series of markings on the paper, "Let's finally end this."

She wasn't just referring to the battle; Chiyo was referring to the problem that had begun for her thirty years ago, when she had first taught the red head puppetry.

She had carried her burden for much too long, and now she just wanted it – meaning Sasori – gone.

The seals lit up and came to life, exiting the scroll in the form of chakra clouds before slowly taking the shape of puppets. After a few moments, all of the marionettes were fully formed; all ten of them. Each was dressed in a bleach white cloak and each puppet was absolutely unique.

"It is said that the ability of a puppet master…" Sasori lifted his eyebrows slightly at the sight before him, "Is measured by how many puppets they can manipulate at once…" He gave a very slight chuckle and an ironic look, "I wouldn't expect any less from my own grandmother…" Sasori gave an ever so slight smirk, still holding the maniacal image of his eyes, "Granny Chiyo's ten digits…I have heard of their splendour in the past…" The woman had once mentioned the puppets to him oh so long ago… "You once managed to annihilate an entire fortress using this technique…Secret White Technique: Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets…The first Puppet Master, Monzaemon's masterpieces…An exquisite collection…However…"

Oh how his granny was going to be so proud of him~

He used a chakra thread to pull one of the two remaining scrolls from his back, the one containing his 140 puppets as opposed to the one containing his ten best. He unrolled it and proceeded to activate the seals on it, using his free hand to open the cover on the right side of his chest. Sasori poured chakra into the many small columns in the compartment, sending puppet strings to reach into the scroll. Each thread pulled out a marionette until all 140 hung in the bright light above them.

The puppet's consisted of his best - excluding the other ten from the other scroll - and though the marionettes were not constructed for teamwork their sheer numbers could easily overwhelm any opponent. His Granny had once told him that such a feat was not possible; that it was impossible to exceed the maximum of ten. He had proven her wrong. "I used these to destroy an entire nation!" The Apple Country to be specific…

Their blood red cloaks were a sharp contrast to the snow white cloaks of Chiyo's puppets.

The kunoichi stared at him and his army in absolute shock, and Sasori couldn't help but give a subtle facepalm. This was just embarrassing! Why the hell was it taking so long to kill one little girl and an old_ hag_? He didn't like the plan of resorting to his best puppets and his most powerful technique…

"Secret Red Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets…It's show time~" The pinkette ran to get closer to Chiyo, using her Mystic Palm Technique to heal the wound in her side. That Jutsu was nothing compared to his Tender Touch Technique…Such a shame.

The two kunoichi began to talk about something, most likely concerning the antidote and Sasori realised with eagerness that it had worn off. All of the weapons of his puppets were laced with the poison, giving him a distinct advantage over the two women. He faintly recalled the girl mentioning that she had only brought two antidotes with her; that meant that if he managed to poison both of them then he would be able to kill at least one of the two pests without hassle.

He made a motion and sent all 140 of his puppets straight at the twelve enemies. Chiyo snapped into action automatically, taking absolute control of her own ten puppets for the fight. Unlike in the Apple Country mission, Sasori did not have the advantage of Konan's ability to let him view the sight of all 140 puppets, but he could still see all of them.

The puppets began to collide, Sasori trying to overpower the woman with sheer quantity alone, but with his use of so many puppets he couldn't control them as well as when he was only using several. It didn't matter, he would still come out victorious; with each puppet that Chiyo destroyed, his ability to control the others increased. He wouldn't even need to summon his last ten favourite puppets for this show!

It would be over soon…


	67. An Impossible Dream

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty Seven

An Impossible Dream

There was too much happening to describe the entirety of the fight between the ten puppets of white and the army of red.

He was unable to lay a single hand on the two women and even though they had thinned out his puppets, he was able to focus more intensely on the remainder of his forces. A chance suddenly opened to the red head and he made a quick distraction in order to take the opportunity to the fullest extent.

He sent a puppet straight at the pinkette with murderous intent, simultaneously sneaking another marionette behind Chiyo's defences. Before he could lay a single wooden finger on the girl, one of the old hag's puppets had destroyed the red cloaked marionette.

But her own defences were down.

Sasori immediately sent the hidden puppet lashing out at the old woman, successfully slicing the blade through her arm; not enough to dismember it, but enough to be extremely painful. Not to mention the fact that the blade - as all of the weaponry of his forces - was coated in poison.

A burst of blood shot forth from the wound, but before another attack could be made one of the white cloaked figures jumped in front of Chiyo, destroying the puppet. The damage was already done. Sasori smirked sadistically at the woman's initial distress and waited for her to use the last of the antidote, though she didn't even make a move to pull it from her sleeve. "Don't worry about me, Sakura…Just focus on Sasori…Leave it to me to deal with the other puppets…"

The pinkette turned and glared at the red head, but he only gave a slight superior chuckle, sending more puppets to attack. Two of the white cloaked marionettes moved to protect the girl, beginning to slice and dice up the parts of the red head's collection. Man, it would take forever to restock his collection…

What a pain…

A few did reach the little girl, though she easily used her strength to bash them away, another of Chikamatsu's puppets flying to her side. It had its mouth open and Sasori noticed a strange floating ball which was offered to the pinkette who moved to take it without hesitation.

The red head tried to stop her, sending a barrage of at least twelve swords at the girl, though she managed to jump in order to barely avoid the lethal attack. She irksomely used the platform created by the flat sides of the weapons to leap up higher, grabbing the odd ball in the process, dodging other puppets. Chiyo was obviously beginning to grow weary due to the poison, but still she refused to use the antidote.

Sasori managed to take out one of the remaining white cloaked puppets, sending a series of his own red cloaks to attack the girl, though she managed to dodge them all. The pinkette grew even closer and the red head's smirk finally faded, "TAKE THIS!" She gave a roar as she tossed the ball thing straight at the male, her feet skidding across the stone floor.

As the ball flew through the air it morphed and grew until it formed a snow white head with glowing red eyes and sharp needle-point teeth. Its mouth flew open and canines became extended as it shot at the red head, and Sasori knew that he had to be quick.

The last of Chiyo's white cloaked puppets was destroyed and the red head acted just as the giant sealing head's teeth made contact with his body.

The world went dark as he shot his heart container forward through the air, using chakra to sense his intended destination.

He found what he was searching for; a puppet that he had added to his oeuvre immediately after his victory over the Land of Apples. He instantly took control of the body after landing in its chest, immediately opening the eyes of the new vessel.

Before Sasori moved into action, he took a moment to once again go over his options; he could stay down to wait for them to leave, or he could kill them…

Once again he knew that the first was not a real option; the latter was definite, though he decided to take several more seconds, simply to calm himself down, losing his maniacal expression for his usual calm self…

It was time.

He swallowed the sense of foreboding.

Sasori stood back up.

He was only a few metres behind his dear old hag of a grandmother. She could hardly move due to the poison coursing through her; she was an extremely easy target.

He readied the poisoned blade which the puppet already held and immediately moved forwards, thrusting the sword down. Blood spurted into the air and Sasori knew that he had pierced flesh…

But…He hadn't struck Chiyo.

Instead, Sasori had stabbed the pinkette right through the gut.

Blood spurted forward and back on both sides of the wound, some splashing onto Chiyo's face as she stared in absolute horror. The girl was panting hard, but still she managed to turn her head to glimpse at Chiyo's condition, "Lady Chiyo…How are you doing…? Can you…Still move…?"

Sasori sneered in utter annoyance, "If I were you I wouldn't be so worried over her; not when you have a sword through your gut." He pushed the blade in deeper, causing the girl to cry out in agony and cringe shakily. "If you really are a Medical Nin, then you know perfectly well how hopeless your situation is…"

Perhaps his Tender Touch Technique could heal such a wound, but there was nothing that this girl would know that could help her situation.

Compared to him, she was an amateur.

She managed to open one of her eyes, glaring darkly at the red head with absolute hatred burning in her gaze, "Shut up!"

Sasori's smirk reappeared and he gave an amused chuckle, knowing that at last he had won the fight.

Deidara might be annoyed that he had taken so long, but the red head didn't really care what the Brat thought.

"You're quite courageous…For a girl with pink hair…But I wonder how much longer you can possible take…" Sasori moved the sword deeper into the pinkette, causing her to give a cry with her teeth tightly clenched, blood dripping sluggishly off of the blade.

She returned to panting, trying to ease her agony and Sasori was surprised when he noticed the mint green chakra that appeared around the girl's wound. Huh?

She was trying to stop the flow of blood while his sword was still through her. The girl was quite skilled in her own right…But it wouldn't be nearly enough. Again the girl turned to look at Sasori's granny, "Lady Chiyo…Please…I want you to take the antidote…"

How noble; the girl was so naïve that it almost sickened the red head. Honestly, giving up her life just to try and save the old woman? It was pathetic. "But…But Sakura!"

Sasori resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and his mind drifted for a few moments as he realised just how long it would take to repair all of the damage that the two kunoichi had done to his collection! It would take months…No…Years to replace all of the puppets!

He would have to find a new carapace that was large enough for himself, plus he had to attain a new favourite puppet…Hmmm… The body of that Gaara kid would come in handy…Not to mention the fact that he would have to replace Deidara's arm…

He chuckled quietly as he left his thoughts, moving back to the reality before him, "The poison is starting to take effect…You see, this blade was also coated in my concoction - as all of my weapons are." The girl was panting harder and blood loss was beginning to make her appear unbelievably tired.

There was suddenly a clicking noise and Sasori watched as Chiyo thrust a small needle into the girl's outer thigh, injecting the contents into her bloodstream…That must be the antidote…It was clearly a different concoction to what he made; his was coloured a light purple while this was yellow…It wasn't the same, but it appeared to detoxify his complex poison nevertheless.

"Why…" The Sakura girl continued to pant due to the agony, "Why did you…?" Chiyo abruptly collapsed at her feet, the poison taking its toll on her own body, "Lady Chiyo…! Are you okay…?"

Sasori frowned slightly in irritation, unable to understand why the idiots would chose to die in order to save another person's life…

It was like what Hiruko had done all those years ago, and Sasori just couldn't comprehend the reasoning behind it…

It must have been that stupid emotion again; that one known as 'Love'.

It was so pathetically _stupid_!

…Wait a minute…

When Deidara had been drowning a few days ago…Sasori had jumped in just to try to save the blonde…

The red head had paid absolutely no attention to commonsense at all…Sasori had not even cared about putting his own life in jeopardy; he had only cared about saving the boy's life…

…Was that 'Love'?

…

…Was he in 'Love' with Deidara…?

No; that was impossible!

…

Sasori distracted himself from his thoughts by trying to pull the sword from the girl so that he could deal a finishing blow, but the bitch was holding tightly to the blade. No matter how hard he pulled, she wouldn't let go. She glowered darkly at him, teeth clenched together in angry pain, "I won't give up…Never!"

Sasori sneered ever so slightly, wondering how the girl could possibly be so strong…Sure he wasn't the most powerful of the Akatsuki members in strength - in fact, he was one of the weakest - but even so.

In the girl's current condition of being on the brink of death…If it was a battle of strength, there would be no way that Sasori could out last the pinkette…Fine then; plan B.

The thoughts of the blonde began to pester him again; he loved Deidara.

SHUT UP!

The red head turned the joint on his elbow, unlatching it and pulling away to reveal a smaller sword attached to the inner joint. He jumped away from the pinkette and gave a smirk as he ran towards her once again. Sasori lifted up the blade, ready to slice the girl to shreds with it, giving a dark sneer, "NOW DIE BITCH!"

The red head saw the two puppets moving in the corners of his eyes; his mother and his father creations. He saw right through the attack, and yet he did not stop.

…

He did not stop, but time did.

Sasori was stuck in that single moment, running at the woman, about to dodge the attack.

And in that single moment the man thought a million thoughts.

He loved Deidara…And yet he had hurt him so much…

Chiyo had wished to get rid of her burden by killing the red head, but how could Sasori get rid of the burden that was eating away at him. He couldn't just kill his problem like the old hag could…

…Or could he?

…

That was why he didn't dodge the attack.

It was a self-righteous suicide, and yet he was still being utterly _**selfish**_.

He didn't do it so Chiyo would be content.

He didn't do it to die in the embrace of his parents.

He didn't even do it for Deidara.

It was for himself.

He would die to remove the burden that had been growing heavier and heavier and heavier…and heavier and heavier and heavier and _**heavier**_ with every moment that slid by.

That was why he did what he did…

That was why.

Utter selfishness.

…

Time continued.

The red head was abruptly stopped dead in his tracks…

Purple blood splayed in the air in front of him, splashing across his face. Sasori stared in utter shock.

He felt absolutely no pain in the feeling of fatality, just an uncomfortable tight squeeze that was limited to his nucleus.

He - very shakily - turned to his right, muddy brown eyes locking with the glass forget-me-not orbs of his Mother puppet, before Sasori turned to the left, meeting the gaze of his Father puppet. The red head then looked down to his heart container, gawking at the two blades that were sticking out of the white and red surface.

Purple blood coated the two swords; his own blood.

Sasori gave a sharp harsh gasp and looked up, noticing the markings that now laced the floor around them; they limited his use of chakra strings more and more with each moment that went by.

But as life grew heavier, the burden grew lighter.

Soon he wouldn't be able to move; even now he could not move his legs. He was barely able to keep himself standing. "You lowered your guard…At the very last moment…" Chiyo was panting hard, the poison still coursing throughout her bloodstream, "…Sasori…"

"…What?" Sasori looked to the side, noticing that the source of the markings originated from the corpses of several of Chiyo's white cloaked angels. He felt another wave of tightness go through his heart and a trickle of blood exited his mouth, running down his lips and then down his chin…

…Damn you to hell, Deidara.

_Damn you to hell._

"Now you won't be able to move anymore…" Chiyo looked at him with eyes that were both disappointed and tired, "Even though you now have the body of a puppet…You had to keep your heart to control and manipulate chakra…That is your weakness…I noticed that the left part of that puppet's body," she was of course referring to his original self that was currently pinned against the wall by the snow white lion seal, "is missing…You must have changed bodies very quickly to avoid the sealing; you did it just before the Jutsu was complete…A simple switch to a new puppet…All of these puppets that you have made? They're just a bunch of _dolls_…" The blood dripped down from his chin, collecting with the already flowing puddles collected on the two blades. "But your real self is that part in your chest that controls your chakra!"

…

Sasori gave a sudden smirk.

The old hag figured everything out too quickly…He reminded himself that it didn't matter if he died; she would die also, as would the annoying girl.

And then it would be complete; everyone from his childhood would at last be dead.

The pinkette collapsed onto the ground, the sword still protruding macabrely from her gut. Her body was pulsing as she came closer to death with each moment that went by. Chiyo uselessly crawled over to the girl, most likely with the intent to save her, even though it was hopeless.

She drew the sword from the girl's gut while using the Mystic Palm Technique to stop her from bleeding excessively at the same time. Chiyo succeeded in removing the blade before tossing it carelessly across the ground. The pinkette gave a sigh as her agony was slightly eased, but it wouldn't be enough; she would die soon, "You must know that doing that won't work; I have done too much damage. She will die even without the effects of my poison; the girl has lost far too much blood to survive. I am perfectly aware that you're a medical nin, so I managed to strike a spot that is impossible to heal…"

He couldn't help but feel sad.

His Eternity was crumbling right before his eyes.

"I've already finished the first aid training using medical ninjutsu…" The woman didn't take her eyes from her hands or the light blue chakra ministrations that were not familiar to the red head. "What I am doing for her now is something very different…"

Sasori was taken aback by the comment, "What do you mean…?" Was it the Tender Touch Technique? Had she somehow learnt it from the red head? No; that was not possible!

She still refused to look up at the puppet, knowing that there was absolutely nothing that he could do. The man was no threat.

To her, he had been dead for a long time now, and the red head who stood before her now was not the same little boy that she had taught to play with puppets thirty years ago.

He was Sasori of the Red Sand; no longer Sasori Yoshiko.

He had been dead since the day he had left the village. "I am manipulating my own life force and I am now forcing it into her body."

"No; that is impossible!" Sasori sneered at the thought of the girl surviving after all he had done to assure her death.

"It is a Reanimation Ninjutsu." The red head was taken aback, recalling another Jutsu which had also gone by the name of 'Reanimation'…So she was bringing her back from the dead? At the memory, Sasori also recalled several things; in ten days he was supposed to meet up with Kabuto…

…It had been five years exactly since he had first met Deidara…

And he was going to die alone in this insignificant cavern.

Sasori would never see the blonde again…His poor love…It didn't matter; Deidara would soon join him in death. "A Reanimation Ninjutsu?"

"Yes…This Jutsu…I wasted so many years perfecting it; all for you, Sasori…" She frowned very subtly and the red head was confused, "I'm the only one in the world who can use it." Sasori tilted his head, still unable to comprehend the first comment that she had spoken. For him? The red head watched as the pinkette's eyes slowly opened, "Using this technique, life can be breathed into anyone…Even a puppet…Of course it has a price; the life of the one who casts the Jutsu." So she had been going to bring the red head's parents back to life…? "Oh well…I guess that it has long since become an _impossible dream_…"

…Just how much did Chiyo blame herself for the monster that Sasori had become?

…How heavy was her burden…?

"…" Another drop of his own blood dripped from his lips, and he could almost taste the bitterness in his mouth. _"…Nonsense…" _Sasori gave a wide smirk, no longer caring that his Eternity would soon come to an end, "What utter nonsense! Tell me, when did you grow to be so senile, Granny Chiyo?" He spoke the words with absolute bitterness behind them, hating the woman now more than ever.

He watched as the pinkette began to shudder and she gave a groan, slowly managing to move into a kneeling position, looking to Sasori's grandmother, "Lady Chiyo…? How are you feeling…?"

Sasori gave a questioning exclamation with distaste laced in his voice, "…How peculiar…That Reanimation Ninjutsu, or whatever it is that you called it…I thought you said that the caster would die after bringing someone back from the dead?"

Chiyo finally looked to her grandson, keeping all of her swelling emotions well locked, hidden behind her calm countenance just as a Shinobi was supposed to do. "Sakura may have lost a lot of blood…But she wasn't quite dead yet…" It seemed she couldn't bear to continue to look at Sasori and to keep her emotions in check at the same time, so she gazed away from her once-beloved grandson, "So even though I took a risk, I escaped with my life still intact…"

"Oh…" Sasori's smirk widened both slightly and humourlessly, "How very _unfortunate~_" The next thing he knew, his head was abruptly shoved to the side as he was punched in the face, cracks forming on his left cheek.

If Deidara had done the same, the red head would have been thrown into a rage, but now Sasori didn't even bother.

Life was now too short to be wasted on anger.

"That's pointless; this body of mine doesn't feel any pain…You're only going to end up hurting your hand if you keep hitting me." He shifted his head back to look at the two kunoichi again, "Women…You all just love to do…Completely pointless things…" Sasori smirked at her and actually gave a small sadistic chuckle at his sick, twisted joke. "Even if I were to kill my own grandmother, I wouldn't feel a thing~ My heart is just as hollow as this body…" Concerning her anyway. "Over the years I have killed hundreds…No; thousands of innocent people. To me, she is no different from the others~ She'll be just another corpse." Sasori gave a slight sigh, "Things are far _simpler_ than you'll ever know…"

And that was when the girl finally spoke what no one else had dared to proclaim, "YOU'RE A MONSTER!" Sasori would have actually congratulated her, until she asked the eerily familiar million-dollar question that he had been asked so damn long ago, "WHAT IS HUMAN LIFE TO YOU?"


	68. White Outlines

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty Eight

White Outlines

Sasori would have actually congratulated her, until she asked the eerily familiar million-dollar question that he had been asked so long ago, "WHAT IS HUMAN LIFE TO YOU?"

…It wasn't worth it.

Sasori didn't have enough time to answer that questions; it was still the same as it always was. The red head knew the truth; human life was nothing…But some people's lives were of more worth than others.

That was 'Love'…

Sasori have never truly known what the term meant, and now he finally knew right when his life was about to end.

Love was when you believed that someone else's life was worth more than even your own, because without the other life simply wouldn't be worth living.

No wonder he had never been able to even comprehend the idea.

"Come now~" He smirked lightly at the girl, feeling almost bliss as he finally figured out the answer to a question that he had been asking himself for far too long, "Is that any way for a Shinobi to speak?"

The girl was taken slightly aback, gnarling her teeth at the red head with a glare of absolute hatred. What did the girl have to be angry about? She was the only one of the three who wouldn't soon die; if anything, she should be overjoyed. "How dare you…HOW CAN YOU TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THIS?"

"Sakura…" Both of them turned their gaze to the woman who was still in pain on the floor, "That is enough of that…The teachings and the customs of Sunagakure are what made him this way…We all share the blame for turning him into what he is today…It's our burden…Not his…"

So she was finally seeing the error of her ways? After all these years, right when the both of them were on the brink of death; that was when she had finally decided to take responsibility? It was too little too late. "But Lady Chiyo…"

Of course the girl wouldn't understand; she was of a different generation. A laidback generation that had life served to them on a silver platter.

She had absolutely no idea…No one had any idea.

Only Sasori knew his life story.

"Come on~ Deep down inside, don't you just wish you were like me? Maybe if you could experience what it is like, you would understand a little of what I am talking about…" Sasori gave a light smirk, "This body of mine…It will never fall apart, and it will never age; I am not suffocated by the idea of a limited lifespan. Puppets can be reproduced and repaired so easily~ With puppets you can make as many loyal subjects as you want…" The insane look returned to his eyes and he tilted his head ever so slightly, giving a genuine minor smile, "But only if you want to, of course~" The girl continued to stare at him with the dark glare on her face, knowing nothing of the life that he had lived. "But please don't misunderstand me~ A true collection is rather about the quality as opposed to quantity~"

The girl seemed to be asking all of the right questions; the questions that no one had even bothered to ask before. "WHAT THE HELL _ARE_ YOU?"

There was a shot of blood which burst from the red head's nucleus, though he ignored it entirely, already aware that he would die soon.

"I guess you could describe me as a human who could not be turned into a complete puppet…I am merely…'Unfinished'…A marionette who still possesses a beating heart at the core; I am not dead…But neither am I alive…"

He gave a slight smirk as he realised just how he could get revenge on this stupid girl for managing to survive a fight with him.

"The end draws near…But before I die, I will do one last completely pointless thing~" Sasori sighed slightly and his smirk completely fell, trying his best to keep Deidara out of his final thoughts as after thirty five long years he neared the very edge of death, "Think of it as a…'Gift' for defeating me…You wanted to learn about Orochimaru, right? Go to the Tenchi Bridge in the Village Hidden in the Grass; ten days from now."

It was a trap; Orochimaru would definitely show up…He would kill the bitch along with her comrades.

That would be his retribution.

At least he had erased Deidara's memory of it so he wouldn't do anything reckless like to try to take on the snake without the red head's help… "Why? Tell me what's there!"

Sasori almost gave a sigh, though managed to suppress it, "An agent of mine has been working as one of Orochimaru's henchmen, and I was supposed to rendezvous with him there…"

With his death, the Fuinjutsu on Deidara's mouth would be undone; he'd be able to blow himself up with it. Not to mention the fact that the second memory seal in his mind would also be broken; an 18% chance of death, an 80% chance of going utterly insane, and a 2% chance of him coming out fine…Deidara…

Was it better to die a monster than to continue living as one?

Talking grew difficult as his human part began to fade.

Life was becoming unbearably heavy.

He fought to remain alive, even if for just a moment more.

"But…I don't think I'll-" Sasori never finished the sentence as his heart finally gave out.

The two puppets at his sides fell forwards just as they had done so long ago. This time Sasori collapsed with them, tumbling onto the hard ground below.

Sasori had reached the top, and just as someone wise had once prophesised, he had come crashing back down.

The light shone off of his Sunagakure headband which had fallen off of Hiruko at the very start of the fight; the slash through the gourd appeared just as bold as the day he had severed it.

Sasori managed a single final thought before he was at last captured within the cold clutches of death:

Deidara better leave my body alone once I'm dead…

…Stupid Brat…

-o-

And that, is the second time that I died; I lost my mind that day…I'm sure a lot of you would expect the story to end there; I realised my love for the person I hated above all others, all the main questions in my life had been answered, I had both directly and indirectly killed all of those who had been close to me during my childhood, and of course, I had died.

But this still isn't the end; I apologize for how long and drawn out my story is, but this is my life; it was the longest thing that I ever experienced.

And there are still questions that have not been answered.

_At last I saw the shadowed bars  
>Like a lattice wrought in lead,<br>Move right across the whitewashed wall  
>That faced my three-plank bed,<br>And I knew that somewhere in the world  
>God's dreadful dawn was red.<em>

_At six o'clock we cleaned our cells,  
>At seven all was still,<br>But the sough and swing of a mighty wing  
>The prison seemed to fill,<br>For the Lord of Death with icy breath  
>Had entered in to kill.<em>

_He did not pass in purple pomp,  
>Nor ride a moon-white steed.<br>Three yards of cord and a sliding board  
>Are all the gallows' need:<br>So with rope of shame the Herald came  
>To do the secret deed.<em>

_We were as men who through a fen  
>Of filthy darkness grope:<br>We did not dare to breathe a prayer,  
>Or give our anguish scope:<br>Something was dead in each of us,  
>And what was dead was Hope.<em>

…

_We had no other thing to do,  
>Save to wait for the sign to come:<br>So, like things of stone in a valley lone,  
>Quiet we sat and dumb:<br>But each man's heart beat thick and quick  
>Like a madman on a drum!<em>

_With sudden shock the prison-clock  
>Smote on the shivering air,<br>And from all the gaol rose up a wail  
>Of impotent despair,<br>Like the sound that frightened marshes hear  
>From a leper in his lair.<em>

_And as one sees most fearful things  
>In the crystal of a dream,<br>We saw the greasy hempen rope  
>Hooked to the blackened beam,<br>And heard the prayer the hangman's snare  
>Strangled into a scream.<em>

_And all the woe that moved him so  
>That he gave that bitter cry,<br>And the wild regrets, and the bloody sweats,  
>None knew so well as I:<br>For he who live more lives than one  
>More deaths than one must die.<em>

-o-

Sasori opened his eyes with a confused groan, peering through the darkness which surrounded him.

What the…? Where the hell was he? The red head frowned groggily and looked down at his body, eyes instantly widening at the sight; his body was gone.

He looked to his hands that no longer possessed flesh or skin; they were just outlines. His entire self was outlined in bloody red lines while the rest of him was just as dark as the rest of the strange world he was in…But where was he…?

…!

He had died! Sasori of the Red Sand had just been killed!

…So where was he then? He realised after a few moments that there was a familiar sound which echoed through the air, originating from someplace before Sasori. He blinked slowly, recognising the sound and quickly turning around.

In the darkness Sasori could clearly see the image of a young boy made of pure white outlines; he was curled up and crying loudly. The red outlined figure was taken aback, instantly remembering the child…It was himself…When he had been young…When he had been young, stupid and naïve.

Sasori sneered at the figure and tried to walk closer, but he wasn't able to make his legs take him forward. Dammit. "SHUT THE HELL UP; YOU HAVE NO REASON TO CRY!" The poor child sobbed for his lost innocence, for having to endure the monster that he had turned into. The kid didn't understand anything that the red outlined male believed in; he didn't know why it was he killed, he didn't realise how or why Sasori had changed so much over the course of several years, and he didn't get why it had all happened to him…

Well…That's what Sasori thought that the boy was crying over; what else could it be?

The boy wore the white chalk outline of a victim.

The red outlined male scowled darkly as the white outlined child simply cried harder, drowning out older Sasori's attempts at verbally abusing him. Insults were brushed off, swear words were ignored, and death threats just went unheard.

The incessant droning was beginning to give Sasori a migraine, or at least he thought that it was. Man, this brat was worse than Deidara!

…Deidara? Dammit, how long had Sasori been dead for? Had Deidara killed himself already? Poor kid, now that Sasori was dead then the blonde would most likely have to partner the pest Tobi in the Akatsuki.

Poor Brat.

-x-

Sasori was doing what he usually did in the Outline World; sit on the 'ground' and glare as darkly as possible at the crying kid who never relented in his wails. He had been there for an unknown length of time that could have ranged between anything from a day to a century; he had no idea.

Ever since he had been there he had noticed them as well; the shadows that lurked out of reach, slightly darker than the darkness. They watched him; they never stopped watching him. After a while, Sasori had decided that they were of no threat, so he just ignored them.

The red head frowned in deep thought. Sasori had long since decided that this was not the Pure World; this must have been some sought of limbo.

There was an epiphany that was holding him back however, and he was stuck in the Outline World until he could realise what it was…

He was nonchalantly guessing, talking generally to the white outlined brat albeit he doubted the boy's ability to hear him. Sasori had long since run out of intelligent possible life lessons, so now he was just listing them off at random.

"Don't talk to strangers?" The kid was unresponsive, "Don't steal stuff that don't belong to you?" Nothing, "Always eat your greens?" Still nothing…

Sasori gave a dark frown; he didn't know what it was he was supposed to solve. He already had discovered what love was and he had rid himself of his burden…What about that thing that he had been searching for?

No; that wasn't it.

…What about_ that_ question?

The red head blinked in surprise; was that what he had to discover? Hmmm…

What decided whether you were 'good' or 'evil'…?

Sasori frowned in deep thought and he slowly began to work it out…The red head had been called a hero for achieving a mission, and he had been called a criminal for the exact same reason…

His eyes widened at the epiphany. Was that it? …Yes; that was it…

The world was not based on a definite structure…It wasn't a village, it wasn't a group, and it wasn't a hierarchy…

The world was based on points of view.

…Take his own life as an example…It could be told from Deidara's perspective, and the story would be completely different…Tell it from anyone's point of view.

From Chiyo's, from Karura's, from Pein's; tell the tale from their gaze and it would no longer be Sasori's story.

What about the perspective of someone completely different? Like Gaara, or even that blond Nine Tails Jinchuriki Naruto Uzumaki – okay, maybe not that last one; who the hell would want to hear the story of that insignificant kid?

If they were the pivotal characters in their own lives, then to them Sasori was their enemy, just as they were his enemy.

Sasori would be just another obstacle on their road of life.

Just like all the people that the red head had killed. He had been the end of their lives, while they had just been obstacles in his.

That was how someone had the right to decide whether someone was 'good' or 'bad'…Their point of view…

…

Nothing happened.

Sasori frowned; why wasn't anything happening? Wasn't that the epiphany that the world had been waiting for…?

The child continued to cry and Sasori continued to remain…

Well shit…

"This is so boring…" The only things that Sasori possessed were memories and a slight regret, though he didn't know for what. "Fine then, I give up…" He sighed; Sasori could not imagine an epiphany greater than that one.

-x-

It had been far too long.

"I spy with my fucking eye…Something beginning with D…" The child just ignored him as he always did, and the red outlined male rolled his eyes, "Darkness you idiot…Yep; I'm losing my mind~…Okay, my turn again…I spy with my fucking eye, something beginning with AWOPN…" Still the brat refused to stop his wails, "…Annoying White Outlined Pathetic Nuisance…You suck at this game…"

But that day was different…The red outlined male was torn away from the act of boredom as he was suddenly pulled to his feet by an unknown force.

"Huh?" Sasori was unable to control his body as he was manipulated like a puppet, being forced to spin around. The red outlined male was then held absolutely still as if his body had turned into a statue, "What the…?" The drones of the child abruptly stopped, but Sasori was unable to look at him to see what had caused him to stop.

"…Lord Sasori…" That voice…Who was it…? It was so familiar, and yet he couldn't realise who it belonged to…Orochimaru? No, the snake would never refer to him as 'Lord'…"I'm sorry to interrupt your time within the Pure World, but your talent is needed back here."

Sasori was taken aback when an image began to form in front of him; it was a barely conscious male in front of him. He had dark, shaggy hair, though there was nothing else distinctive about him.

"Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Resurrection." Once again Sasori felt the invisible force taking control of his stiff body. He was shoved forwards, phasing into the body of the stranger, though he didn't crash into them.

There was the sickening sound of flesh and bone being twisted, and the stranger screamed in absolute agony as their body was stretched and warped to fit in the blood red outlines that were Sasori. The soul of the dark haired male put up a mighty struggle, but Sasori easily overpowered his unintentional victim, becoming bound to the body without sanction.

The screams abruptly stopped and Sasori blinked his eyes, regaining momentary control of the new body. The red head looked down at his body to see that he was now clothed in a dark cloak which for a few moments was mistaken for his Akatsuki cloak, though after a few more seconds he noticed that it bore no clouds and had a hood instead of a high collar…Well, at least he wasn't just an outline anymore…

Sasori blinked, but once again he lost control of his body as a blinding light stood before him. He stared at it in absolute shock.

For a brief moment he heard a younger version of his own voice sound from behind him, "Is that you, Sensei?"

The ex-puppets head suddenly fell forward and he lost consciousness, becoming swallowed up by the blinding light.

-x-

When Sasori woke up, he was somewhere…

He still had no control over his body, but he could feel his back pressed against something both flat and solid. Where the hell was he now? The red head tried to look around, but found such a feat was not possible. He could hear strangely muffled words, as if two people were conversing far away from him.

The small world began to shake violently, though Sasori was not deterred by it. The voices were still muffled, but now they were close, and he could sense something familiar…But he couldn't tell exactly what it was.

He had to close his eyes quickly as another bright light shone ahead of him, though this was different than the last time…This was daylight… "This can't be! This is the Impure World Resurrection Jutsu!" The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar to the red head, but he still couldn't move his head to see who it was. Sasori knew of his whereabouts by now - or at least what the solid surface he was feeling was; the red head was inside of a box. He tried to look up with just his eyes as they seemed to be the only part of him that he could control, but he still could not see.

He could, however, gaze downwards at the part of his chest that was not covered by the robe which Sasori wore…The red head was a human again? How odd…He had been brought back from the dead, that much was obvious.

"Yes, only the Second Hokage and Lord Orochimaru knew how to use this forbidden Jutsu…Well, I guess with myself added the total is now three~ Though I have far surpassed my predecessors." It was the voice that had apologized to him before in the so called 'Pure World', though now he could tell who it was; Kabuto, though he now sounded eerily similar to Orochimaru…Again, Sasori couldn't see who his old spy was conversing with. "But this here is a performance only for you, in an effort to gain your trust~ So calm down, Madara, I did not come here to fight you."

Huh? Madara? The only person that Sasori knew who went by that name had been Madara Uchiha, the one who had had the statue built in his honour in the Valley of the End…No, that was just impossible, it had to be someone else by the same name. "Then tell me, why are you here, Kabuto?"

"That is simple…I came here because I want us to become allies." Sasori did not know his purpose in this; why the hell was he there anyway? Why was it him that they required?

"So…You want to join forces? What could I possible gain from this alliance?" No, Sasori still didn't know who it was speaking…That familiar twinge continued to pester him, though still he didn't know what it was; however it was accompanied by an odd feeling of safety and calm.

"You're planning to start your war soon, right?" …Just how long had Sasori been dead for? "I can strengthen your fighting force…With Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu and Nagato." Now that really shocked the red head; he wasn't the only one that was there. All the others were dead as well? And Deidara was one of them?

Of course! How did he not realise? The familiar feeling he kept experiencing was due to the fact that the blonde was nearby; Sasori could sense his chakra. He had been around the blonde so much that he now automatically associated it with security and the reassurance that he had an ally.

"Quite a selection of stalwart warriors…" Kankuro gave a chuckle that was distinctly similar to Orochimaru's, "And these aren't even my entire collection of pawns~"

So that was all that the five of them were worth now; they had fallen to being at the very top, and now they were simply 'pawns'…It was disgusting… "Tell me then, what is it that you want in return?"

"Sasuke Uchiha." Sasori recognised this name, it was Itachi's little brother that Deidara had once vowed to kill for the red head; both because it was the raven's sibling and because the Uchiha was an associate of Orochimaru. So he was still alive after all.

"What is it that you are trying to accomplish exactly?" Sasori wanted to know the same thing.

"Oh…Well…Nothing in particular~ My interests are simply to learn the unaltered truth concerning ninjutsu…Nothing more…But to finally answer all of my questions, I require your pet Sasuke…A young, fragile, but most importantly_ living_ Uchiha."

There was a short silence as the person known as 'Madara' thought about his options, "And what if I say no?" There was a loud clap that was followed by a menacing rumbling sound, and Sasori didn't need to look up to know that another casket had appeared in front of them. "TH-THAT'S…!"

"Did you honestly believe that I would offer a helpful hand without a backup plan?" Kabuto gave a laugh, knowing that he had this 'Madara' person right where he wanted him, "You cannot refuse my offer…"

Well, looks like the kid had actually learnt more than just medical ninjutsu from the red head; on any other occasion, Sasori would be proud. "You…You madman! How the hell did you even get that?"

"Oh…I have my methods~" He laughed lightly, shaking his head, "But you can relax, I haven't told anyone about your secret…" It was the stranger's turn to give a chuckle, "Oh…Did I say something funny?"

"Kabuto Yakushi…I would have never imagined the potential which you hold…And bickering with you would only weaken my war fighting capabilities…Plus the fact that you set all this up just for meeting me…You are a shrewd meticulous man…"

Kabuto gave a chuckle and Sasori could hear his smirk, "And so…?"

"So…I accept your offer. On one condition that is…I will wait until after we prevail in this war before handing over Sasuke. Until that time comes, I won't let you any where near him…I'll be watching the boy like a hawk…Additionally, you will agree to be watched as well."

"I knew you were reasonable…You truly are in your own league, Madara Uchiha…" So it was the great Madara Uchiha that Kabuto was conversing with?

Sasori didn't believe such bullshit for a second.

"Such an insolent man…Fine, I will reformulate my battle scheme to account for your added power…Let's go." There was a low rumble and Sasori's casket abruptly snapped shut, the red head losing consciousness at the same time.

-x-

When Sasori awoke, he was no longer in the casket; he was in what looked to be a wooden cabin without any doors or windows. There was no furniture, but there were two unfamiliar people, two familiar people, and one _extremely_ familiar person.


	69. Red Outlines

As White as Blood

Chapter Sixty Nine

Red Outlines

The first figure was a man with grey shaggy hair that fell down to his shoulders, and in the v-neck of the cloak Sasori could see the male's ribs extruding against his skin in what appeared to be malnutrition. The red head did not recognise the figure, but he recalled that Kabuto had called him by the name of 'Nagato'. But when the grey haired male looked at him, Sasori immediately recognised who it was due to the odd circles found in the man's eyes; Rinnegan.

This was Pein? Well, it looked like Sasori wasn't the only one who had been hiding his true self from the world…

The second was unfamiliar as well, though Sasori still had the sense that he had seen the man before. He had long black hair that fell downwards in a spiky fashion, and he wore armour that was blood red. The man was sitting alone in the corner, pretending that everyone else didn't exist.

The other two familiar people who stood in the room including the hulking mass of Kakuzu and also the erudite figure of Itachi…They were also dead? How long had Sasori been away from the world of the living anyway?

His eyes then turned to the very familiar person who sat in one of the corners of the cabin with their back facing the others, as if wishing to rid them from his mind. His hair was just as blonde as it had always been…Deidara…

"Sasori," it was the Nagato person who spoke to the red head and the ex-puppet instantly gave Akatsuki's ex-leader his attention, "it is good to see you after all this time; welcome back to the Akatsuki."

The red head blinked slowly at him and looked once around the room before returning his attention to the man, "Did you four all die as well? How long have I been dead for exactly?"

"You have been gone for a while, Sasori. You were the first of many Akatsuki to fall; Kakuzu, Itachi, Deidara, and myself. Hidan was decapitated, and Tobi has since tried to start a war against the Shinobi villages…" Nagato looked downwards, almost saddened, "And now we are being forced to play our parts as Akatsuki members."

"Tobi is starting a war?" Sasori gave a light frown before he realised the source of the voice that had been speaking to Kabuto; that had been Tobi, just in a different tone… "…" My, did everyone in the Akatsuki hide their true selves away from the others?

"Yes he is," Sasori turned to look at Itachi as the younger male spoke, "and we have been summoned by Kabuto in order to take part in this bloodshed…This place that we are now is known as a type of limbo; we are currently between both the Pure World and reality, and we will be here until we are needed."

Sasori looked around at the other three Akatsuki members, giving a slight frown, "So then…How did you all die?"

"You have been dead for far too long, Sasori…" Kakuzu gave his old friend a slight ironic smirk, "But you were right about the difference between immortal and eternal…I had my hearts destroyed by the blond Jinchuriki you were after, and also the Copy Ninja. They separated Hidan and myself; according to Pein," he gestured towards the albino, "the idiot was decapitated and buried far underground out of the Akatsuki's reach."

"I have been suffering from a disease for many years now, but I was taking medication to postpone my death…It caught up to me, however, near the end of the long awaited fight with my little brother, Sasuke…" Sasori saw Deidara physically flinch at the mention of the name, though he continued to remain in his own little world away from the other Akatsuki.

"I wished to break the cycle of hatred; I believed in Naruto Uzumaki's ideals and the hope for a better world. I used a technique which was so over exerting that it turned my red hair grey and thin…It cost me my life…I would have brought you back, but I did not wish to disturb your final well-deserved peace." Nagato looked away from them, though Sasori noted the very slight smile that lit up on their leader's lips. None asked him of his death, and he guessed that they already knew, "Your loss was great within the Akatsuki; we held a moment of silence to honour your life and to grieve for you."

Sasori gave a slow nod, quite touched by the thought that the group of criminals would do such an act; others had died before him, such as Kisame's old partner, and yet they had not held a moment of silence for them…

"It's true," the red head looked to the tall figure of Kakuzu, "remember I once told you 'No one mourns the evil though the evil always mourn'?" Sasori had forgotten of the comment, giving a slow nod as he recalled the comment with a slight reminiscent air.

"Well Sasori," he looked to Itachi, "at least you no longer look like a sixteen year old; you look like your actual age." Sasori blinked and looked down at himself, but saw no difference aside from being human. There weren't any mirrors, but he believed the raven; when he had been resurrected he had returned as his mortal self of thirty five years.

"Yes…Excuse me…" The others nodded and he walked past them, stopping once he reached the figure of Deidara sitting in the corner, "You're being antisocial, Brat - and that is coming from a sociopath…" The blonde continued to stare soundlessly at the wall, and Sasori gave a sigh as he sat down next to him. The other Akatsuki members turned and continued their conversation in order to give the two artists some privacy, "Geez, I'm sorry I died, alright? It's not like I wanted to die, Brat, so stop being angry."

"Who said that I was angry about that, un?" Sasori could hear the strain in the blonde's voice as he struggled to not show his emotions, "I'm not angry that you died; art is transitory anyway, and I am used to death." Deidara seemed to suddenly snap, turning quickly to look at Sasori while simultaneously slapping him across the face, "YOU FUCKING LIED TO ME!"

Despite being in a human body the red head felt no pain, just the force of the blow. He turned back to look at Deidara, realising the reason for the blonde's outburst, "The second seal in your mind broke, didn't it?"

"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!" Deidara breathed in to try and calm himself down, managing to at least lower his voice, "You lied to me when you said that we had only had sex once, and all that shit about how I acted, un…" He frowned darkly as he changed the subject, "Orochimaru is dead; I didn't kill him, but he is dead."

"He's dead?" Sasori was taken aback by the news; had that pinkette and her group killed him? But if they had, then why had they kept Kabuto alive and free? "Who killed him then?"

"Itachi's younger brother…I promised you that I would kill the snake, but I failed, so I went after Sasuke Uchiha. He mocked me and my art, but I managed to kill him off. Don't believe any of the _bullshit_ that Itachi or those other two people were saying; I used my C0 attack and blew him to smithereens along with myself~ You should have seen it, Sasori, it was so artistic…"

There was a distant look in his forget-me-not eyes, and the red head realised just how many tears the boy had shed over his death…

**Not a single one.**

…It was true; no one mourned the evil.

"I saw you there watching me…" Deidara's eyes lowered, as did his emotions, "You told me not to do it, but I did it anyway…"

"…" Sasori actually gave a very slight scowl, "You better not have done anything to my body after I was dead." Deidara's eyes came into focus as he blinked at the red head, turning his head to once again face the wall, speaking with less bitterness in his voice and with more honesty.

"After I had both of my arms reattached by Kakuzu, I visited your grave. While there I removed your heart container and after a lot of digging I found Hiruko's remains. I took those three bracelets that you loved so much and then I went back to the Land of Wind, crossing the desert…I went into your Den and then I placed your heart container inside of the cell with the three bracelets, un…And then I used a clay scorpion to collapse the place…" He gave a slight humourless laugh, "Your Den became your Tomb…Or even better…That 'Cave' became your 'Grave'…"

All jokes aside, Sasori was actually quite surprised by the lengths that the blonde had gone to just to be sentimental. Not only burying the red head's heart in the one place that he had considered to be his home, but also with burying him with the three bracelets? The boy really had been in love with him…

The older male didn't know what to do, whether to kiss the boy, confess his revelation of love, pull him against his chest, embrace him, run a hand through his silken hair, or to pet him on the back. Sasori found he couldn't do any, so he turned his head away from the younger male, "…Thank you…" Deidara was quiet and there was a slight awkwardness on the red head's part, so he continued to talk, "You said that you had _both_ of your arms reattached by Kakuzu?"

Sasori looked back to the blonde and Deidara gave a slow nod, "Yeah; well, one was reattached and the one that got crushed was replaced. That stupid Copy Ninja used a Sharingan and cut my arm off at the elbow, plus it was the one with my Akatsuki ring so I had to go and hunt it down after, un."

The red head nodded slowly and there were a few moments of silence before Deidara looked back at him, though Sasori spoke the question before the blonde had the chance, "So what did you see?"

"…" Deidara opened his mouth slowly, before he abruptly stilled, the whites of his eyes suddenly darkening, "…I have to go, Sasori; I'm needed." The blonde looked away from the red head and stood up, slowly fading until he was suddenly gone.

The red head blinked in slight confusion before also getting to his feet, looking towards the others who still remained. They sensed the blonde's departure and turned back to look at the ex-puppet who traipsed towards the group. All four had already guessed that Deidara had been called to fight in the real world. "…What did you three see?"

Itachi gave a slow nod, "I was back in Konoha with my relatives of the Uchiha Clan…Sasuke was there as well, before I had forced him to hate me…And Kisame was there…" The raven appeared quite indifferent about it, though then again he seemed indifferent about everything. "I'd also like to add that what Deidara said about Sasuke being dead is not true; I can feel it, he is more than alive…What did you others see?"

"I was inside of an old hideout that used to belong to myself, Yahiko and Konan…" Nagato almost gave a small smile, though Sasori saw that he managed to hold it back, "There were so many colours…And I was there with both Yahiko and with Jiraiya…Konan was there as well, even though she was alive at the time…Time in this form of limbo is odd, however…"

"…" Kakuzu gave a light smirk, "There was money; lots and lots of money…There was gold, there was Ryo, it was heaven~ And it was so colourful. I am the world's worst heathen, according to Hidan, but even I believe that the place was heaven~ Oh, and Hidan was there, and his mouth was sewn tightly shut~" He deeply chuckled before turning his eyes to the red head, "What about you, Sasori; what did you see?"

"There was darkness everywhere, and I was made up of a red outline; there was a little boy as well who possessed a white outline, and he was always crying. Shadows lurked out of reach though they seemed harmless enough…" He gave an ever so slight smirk, "You guys went to heaven, while I fell straight to hell…I think it was a limbo, and I could sense an epiphany that I needed to find but I still haven't discovered it."

"…Perhaps there is something that you haven't come to terms with, or something that you still have to do…" Itachi shrugged ever so slightly, "Perhaps what you need to do is-" He cut himself off to turn, as all the others did, towards the figure of Deidara as he rematerialised out of nothing.

"…Oh great, back in this shit hole, un…" He sneered lightly and shook his head, pacing forward to the group, appearing to have forgotten his earlier composed antisocial behaviour. "Both Kisame and Konan are dead; the only Akatsuki still alive are Zetsu and Tobi. I don't know how they both died, all I know is that they're dead, un."

The four older members lowered their heads in a sign of respect for their deceased comrades, though they had no reason to grieve considering the fact that they were dead as well. Pein was the first to look up, "How far into the war are they?"

"How the fuck should I know, un?" Deidara gave him a slight glare, no longer fearing Akatsuki's leader or bothering to respect him. He was in a bitter mood. He was quiet for a few moments before breathing in, successfully calming down his sour attitude, "Kabuto brought me back here just before I could use my C4 Karura technique, so I couldn't kill off that old sack of wrinkles, Onoki…" He glowered at nothing in particular before turning his gaze to Sasori, "That old spy of your knows nothing of art, un…"

The red head raised his eyebrows at the blonde, "I doubt that he-" He was abruptly silenced as a voice spoke out to all of them, and Sasori was faintly aware of the fact that the whites of all of their eyes turned dark.

"I require you all to join me back in the real world so that you may partake in the war." The cabin faded from view and Sasori lost control of his body as he reappeared in the casket. This time it didn't have the lid attached to it but the place in which the red head stood was dark, "First off…The former members of the Akatsuki, then the former Jinchuriki, then the previous Kages, and finally a group of Shinobi who were famous in their own right…"

Madara gave a slight hum of thought, "Prepare them, Kabuto…Wake them up…Do what you have to do."

"Of course~" The silver haired male walked towards the five members of the Akatsuki, first going to whoever was on the red head's left, though he could tell by the chakra that it was Itachi. Sasori saw the raven move out of the corner of his eye and the next thing he knew, an invisible force had moved him from the coffin and Kabuto was behind him. The red head felt a strange feeling in the back of his skull, an odd vibration, and the next moment he had regained control of his body.

He gave a slow blinked and then finally had the chance to look around at his surroundings; Sasori was the second of a long line up of an impressive collection of Shinobi. The red head tried to find faces that were familiar to him outside of the Akatsuki, not at all surprised to find the face of a Shinobi whom - though the ex-puppet had never met - was familiar with. Hanzo of the Salamander…

Sasori had once created a puppet made to mock the man who had been the ruler of Amegakure. The figure standing next to him, however, was of far greater interest; it was his Granny Chiyo…

She stood still with head tilted downwards as all of them did, most likely being in the same predicament that the red head had been in a few moments ago. Sasori recalled that Kabuto had done something and he moved his hand to the back of his head, feeling nothing out of the ordinary. "It's a talisman, un, he used the same thing on me last time." The red head turned and looked at the blonde who stood next to him, "It doesn't bind us completely to his will, though he still can control us if we stray from his desires." Deidara gave a slight shrug and gave him a smirk, appearing to have returned to his normal arrogant self, "So, anyone here you want me to embarrass you in front of, un?"

Sasori blinked at the blonde and scanned once more around the building, identifying several other figures aside from his Granny. Takeo stood just outside of a casket, looking around composed after Kabuto had inserted a talisman inside of his skull a few moments before.

His eyes locked with Sasori, and they both gave the other a look that was both blank and hateful.

Despite the fact that they had once been so different, with the red head having been eight years younger than him - and though the Fourth Kazekage was now five years older than him due to his death - they seemed much more equal now.

Deidara noticed the duo glaring at one another, and he looked back and forth between the two figures, "…That guy seems familiar, un…Oh yeah! That's the Fourth Kazekage, everyone knows of him; Orochimaru killed him and stole his identity to try and start a war between Sunagakure and Konohagakure…Do you know him?"

"I knew him once; he is a self-righteous bastard." He sneered slightly, but he was suddenly distracted as a figure abruptly ran over to Sasori, collapsing on the floor at the red head's feet.

What the hell…?

"Master Sasori…" The spontaneous event caused the red head to gain quite a bit of attention which he found quite irksome. He looked down at the girl who was kneeling before him, crumpled on the ground and shuddering slowly. The red head did not recognise her at first, but it slowly came to him.

"Pakura?" He blinked down at the girl whom he knew was nineteen years old after having died at that age eight years ago. She looked up at the red head, and for a moment the red head saw the little girl he had kept as his human guinea pig far too long ago.

"Huh?" The blonde blinked at the girl before looking to the red head, "This is Karura, un? I would never have pictured her as the type to collapse at your feet…I expected on her knees…"

"No Brat, this is Pakura, not Karura." He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the female, "Get up, you're making a scene." The girl gave a slow nod and gradually got to her feet, though still kept her head bent low. Even after all these years, she was still utterly terrified of the red head.

"Hey look, un…Gari…" Deidara pointed to a man who stood with spiked back hair, "He was a part of the Explosion Corps as well." Sasori gave a slow nod though he wasn't interested, wondering what to do about the embarrassing girl in front of him.

She suddenly straightened up, her eyes widening as she did so and she mechanically turned and walked slowly to the empty space next to the Shinobi that Deidara had just pointed out. She turned again and suddenly snapped out of the trance, looking around in confusion, and Sasori looked over at Kabuto who was currently giving him a sly smirk as he activated the last of his army.

Sasori looked around once more, mentally praising the fact that his acolyte had managed to build such an impressive collection of Shinobi. He continued to look and noticed that they weren't the only ones who were expected to fight; there was an entire army of white Zetsu, though Sasori guessed that was rather the work of the mysterious 'Madara'.

The red head looked over at the man, noting that he wore a mask similar to Tobi's, and he appeared to be physically built the same…Madara stepped forward with Kabuto as their army was at last complete, "Onwards we march; the war begins now!"


	70. The Ambush

As White as Blood

Chapter Seventy

The Ambush

Sasori watched as the others all took off.

Pakura moved off in a group containing Gari, and a few other Shinobi such as a boy who beat Deidara in having the most effeminate male body, and also an intimidating male with spiked back hair who reminded Sasori ever so faintly of Kisame. Takeo moved off with the other Kages, and Chiyo took no notice of the red head as she moved with her dreaded rival Hanzo.

Nagato had to be carried on Kakuzu's back and they ran off, along with Itachi, in their own direction, leaving Deidara and Sasori standing there confused without any orders. Madara and Kabuto also remained behind, along with two other reanimated Shinobi that Sasori didn't recognise.

The first was a large male who wore a Kirigakure headband and had three distinct stripes across his face. His eyes were covered by a pair of very small glasses and he wore a thick necklace that resembled prayer beads.

The second figure was a boy, most likely the youngest of the people currently there. He had short grey hair and his eyes had the odd coloured whites - as all of them possessed. He bore a Konohagakure forehead protector though his distinct uniform was not familiar to the red head.

The group gathered, the reanimated Shinobi standing in a line while both Madara and Kabuto walked in front of them, "You four will form the Ambush and Distraction Squadron – the Diversion Platoon…It'll be an air raid! Sasori and Deidara, you shall attack with both traps and bombs respectively. Chukichi from Kirigakure and the Root member from Konoha, you will act as sensor and support."

Root…That was faintly familiar, though the red head didn't bother to scrounge his memory to try and remember. The grey haired male gave a confused moan, "Where am I…?"

The Shinobi known now as Chukichi gave a gasp of shock, "YOU'RE FROM THE AKATSUKI! IF YOU THINK WE WILL DO YOUR BIDDING, Y-" He was cut off as Kabuto made a seal, strengthening the Jutsu on him and the Shinobi's personality was eradicated.

Sasori gave a faint sigh of annoyance, shaking his head slowly, "The Akatsuki has fallen too far too fast…Straight to hell…To be taking orders from such a spindly brat? I see that the only ones who are still alive in the organisation are Zetsu…And 'Tobi', my replacement."

Deidara scoffed loudly and shot him a sharp smirk, "You're mighty brash for a dead man! I wouldn't be so conceited if I were you, Danna, considering the fact that you died as well! 'True Art is Eternal', un? Yeah right; you had it coming. Especially since your one weak spot was a huge fucking bullseye in the middle of your chest, un!"

Sasori shot the blonde a dark glare; even in death he could not resist bickering with the boy, "Do you want to die as well, _Brat_?"

Deidara gave an even wider smirk and gave him a look that almost bled sarcasm and obviousness, "Too late for that! I'm already dead, Danna; we both are!" Sasori scoffed though didn't bother to continue with the petty argument as Kabuto and Madara began talking to each other, though the redhead didn't care to even listen.

Soon they were finished with their conversation, and Kabuto turned back to the ambush squad, "Be off now…Deidara, your body contains all the clay that you will require, and the Root Shinobi's body also contains clay for you to use as you see fit. Sasori, you are free to use either of them as puppets as well, but I do not want you two bickering." He gave a slight chuckle and looked the red head directly in the eye, "Isn't this ironic, Lord Sasori? I was the one who finally gave you your greatest wish. The ability to live forever~ Think of it as a thank you for sending me to Lord Orochimaru all those years ago." Kabuto gave a wide smirk that Sasori thought held the grain of something sentimental, "And it seems that the brat actually lasted longer than we both expected him to…"

Deidara sneered at the grey haired male, "Hey! You are not allowed to call me a 'Brat', un! Only Danna is allowed to call me that, so fuck off!" The blonde bore his teeth at Kabuto, and the male gave him a blank look, flexing the white snake that extruded from his body.

"As irascible as ever, Deidara _Sempai_." 'Tobi' spoke the last part with heavy sarcasm, and the blonde instantly lunged at the male, but Sasori grabbed him before he could take more than one step in the masked man's direction.

"Calm down, Brat," Sasori wrenched the boy back into place, able to hear the grinding of his teeth, "it's not worth it. Do you want to lose your personality as well?"

He had noticed that Kabuto had been about to make the seal, but seeing the blonde calm down he didn't bother. Deidara continued to clench his teeth but he didn't burst out again, looking away from the duo. "…Good, now you can travel to the location using Deidara's clay birds; get going."

Sasori and Chukichi were the only ones who nodded, and the blonde glowered slightly before rubbing his hands together. The palms hacked up some clay from inside of the boy's body and began to chew on it, soon spitting out a clay bird each. He tossed them into the air and activated them, the two spontaneously growing large in a burst of smoke. The birds cooed and the blonde immediately leapt onto one, turning to look at the red head, "Come on Danna; let's show them our art."

Sasori gave a nod before leaping onto the birds back as well, while both Chukichi and the Root member jumped onto the other clay creation. Kabuto and Madara gave nods of approval and the two birds took off into the air, flying high above the scene and a rack of giant bleach white bones which must have belonged to some extraordinary creature. Sasori watched aloofly as the ground grew distant before turning back to face Deidara. Unlike the blonde, he wasn't used to flying ever since he had rid himself of his old puppet Phoenix.

The red head seemed to have control over his body, as did Deidara, though the red head guessed that the other two Shinobi had less, especially the one that had had their personality revoked. The blonde turned to look at him, giving a slight smirk, "I know that expression; stop thinking so much, Danna, you'll give yourself a headache, un."

Sasori blinked at the younger male, giving a slight frown, not knowing what to say. Should he question the blonde further as to what had happened since his death, should he question what was going to happen now, or should he tell Deidara about how he had come to realise that he had loved him? "…You're still an idiot, Brat."

"And you're still an asshole~" Deidara smirked and turned back to face the distance, "…I've already told you that I don't hate you for it, un…Dying I mean. After all, true art is fleeting, but I do hate you for lying to me about the whole sex thing."

Sasori gave an ever so slight smirk and looked away from the blonde towards the forest which went by down below, "I regretted putting the second needle into your brain; I did from the very start. I admit that I did overreact, but it was impossible to undo the damage, no matter how much I wanted to change what I had done. I had to carry that burden myself."

Deidara didn't look back at him or even speak; it appeared that the red head's chance of telling the blonde his declaration of love had come and gone.

-x-

"Over…There…" Sasori didn't even bother to look at the personality-less Chukichi, and Deidara automatically began searching with his left eye despite the fact that he no longer had his scope.

"Well, Kabuto was right~" The blonde chuckled ever so slightly, "I spy three of 'em at two o'clock, un." Deidara continued to watch for a few moments before giving a sigh, "No, they're splitting up; now there is a group of two and the other one is moving in the opposite direction."

"Let's go after the duo," Sasori could sense the chakra of the Shinobi below, "and we'll split them up using your explosives, Brat. Just don't kill them; we'll knock the three unconscious and then I'll use their bodies as puppets." The blonde gave a nod and the birds began to shift course, moving towards the area. Deidara's hand hacked up some clay and he quickly moulded it into a clay dove, throwing it into the air. It came to life and then launched itself at the swarm of trees. After a few strangely quiet moments there was an explosion and they continued to track the two Shinobi.

Deidara had succeeded in splitting them up, but this initial attack was matched by a swarm of insects buzzing into the air. The blonde ignored them and sent another random bird down at the world, resulting in another explosion.

All of a sudden they became unable to sense individual chakras below, and Deidara gave a harsh sigh, "These bugs are fucking annoying, un!"

Deidara was of course talking about the beetles.

Sasori shrugged and gave a slight frown, "Plus the fact that they keep scurrying everywhere and trying to hide…It's such a nuisance."

Sasori was of course talking about the Shinobi.

He swatted at a beetle that had flown into his cloak, killing it quickly, but it was simply replaced with three more, so he soon gave up.

"The bugs are messing with…My chakra sensors." Chukichi spoke with a monotone and made no physically reactions to the new bug infestation, "It is a…Chakra bug-jamming technique."

Deidara smirked and gave a slight chuckle, "Well, I'd expect no less from an advanced infiltration and recon cell, un…But don't worry, we'll give them a lesson in art that they will never forget! They better not underestimate _our_ art combo!"

The birds swooped down to land within the foliage, both disappearing as soon as the Shinobi jumped off, "Deidara, you find the first one that split from the group." At least the bugs had now lost interest in them for some reason… "You two, go find the Shinobi who moved in that direction, and I'll find the other." The three took orders from their senior without any arguments, disappearing in a flash.

Sasori followed his own commands, moving in the direction which he knew the third enemy had been approximately located. Soon he found the male sitting at the base of a tree, alone and trying to recuperate, appearing to be slightly singed from being too close to one of the blonde's explosions, "Get away from me!"

The red head didn't even bother to roll his eyes as he brought one hand up, attaching chakra threads to the male. The brunette gasped as their body stilled, but they struggled against his strings far mightier than what the red head bothered to tolerate. Sasori gave a slight sigh, knowing that he would have to weaken the male which probably would mean beating him up with his fists.

It just wasn't the red head's style.

But then again, he didn't bother to plan a better option. Sasori paced forward, still using his chakra threads before proceeding to beat the male against the trunk of a tree.

-x-

The red head moved back to the place where they had all originally split, finding Deidara already waiting for him, while he could sense that the other two were on their way. The boy's victim lay at his feet, barely conscious and looking just as battered as the male that Sasori had brought, "We were never really _team_ fighters, were we Danna? You would always take care of your victims and I would take care of my own, un." Deidara smirked and gave an ironic shrug, shaking his head reminiscently.

"We can start now," Sasori dropped the barely conscious male onto the ground, revealing that the brunette bore a large pot attached to his back, "fill his jar with explosive clay." Deidara blinked at him and nodded, standing up from the tree stump he had been sitting on, opening the lid of the currently empty pot. He moved a hand inside and the mouth began to puke up some of the clay which was inside of the blonde's immortal body.

While the nineteen year old was doing this, the other two living corpses returned with their beaten up prey, dropping him on the floor next to the other two. "…You're both Akatsuki, right?"

Sasori looked to the Root member who had not said a word until that point in time, and the red head gave him the usual intense aloof expression, "Yes; we both were and are Akatsuki members…Even in death."

"I'm known as Shin, by the way…Do you know anything about what is going on?" The male gave a slight frown, and Deidara finished with his ministrations, closing the lid of the pot.

"We don't," Sasori shrugged slightly and picked up the brunette Shinobi, slinging the male over his shoulder, "we just know that there is a war on and that we have been called forth as Akatsuki members to partake in it. While we do have more control over our bodies than you do, our futures are all the same…" He slowly shook his head and turned towards Chukichi, "I know that there is another Shinobi squad nearby, even larger than three; sense where they are." The personality-less male gave a slow nod and began to lead the way through the forest, the Root member and Deidara both taking one of the nearly unconscious victims each.

-x-

They found the area where the other group of Shinobi were, and they had moved in as close as possible, remaining out of sight. "Perfect…" Sasori nodded for no apparent reason while both Deidara and Shin dropped their captives onto the ground unceremoniously, "Now let's give them a good show." The red head attached chakra strings to the long haired brunette, taking control over the male's weak body and making him stand up.

He moved the living-puppet out from the obscured view of the trees so that the Shinobi was in full sight of the enemy group. Sasori decided to tug at the heartstrings of their opponents, making the brunette collapse forward as pathetically as possible.

They took the bait.

He watched in safety as one of the enemies got out of a perfect trench and bolted towards the male. Sasori thought that he heard a familiar voice, but he was too busy to listen to what the enemy were saying.

The impulsive Shinobi had reached the brunette and was currently trying to bring him back to their camp, which was exactly what the red head had been planning. But it was ruined once he finally heard the warning from one of the others, "NO! THERE IS SOMETHING IN THAT BEETLE JAR ON HIS BACK, AND IT ISN'T THE ABURAME CLAN BUGS!"

Sasori frowned in displeasure at being found out, ditching the pathetic act and forcing the brunette to lock their arm around the pitiful Shinobi's neck. He began to use the enemy as a shield, trying to get his living-puppet as close as possible to the group. Deidara gave a groan, though he was smirking, "Damn, they saw right through your little trick, Danna, un."

Sasori ignored the idiot and continued to try and get the puppet as close as possible - before it was immobilized - and as far away from his own group. After a few moments, Sasori decided that he probably wouldn't get the brunette any closer, "Do it, Deidara."

"You don't have to tell me twice~" The blonde smirked wider and made his half ram seal, "Katsu!" The clay that had been placed inside of the brunette's large jar exploded vibrantly, obliterating everything within its reach, including the living-puppet. Sasori sneered slightly as he realised that, by some miracle, the brunette had been the only one killed by the explosion. Even the one who had been used as a shield had been saved somehow… "Now, being blown to smithereens! _That_ is true art, un~ Right?"

Sasori scoffed as they moved forward, though the cloud from the blonde's explosive currently blocked their sight, "Chukichi, sense their whereabouts." The male gave an emotionless nod and put his palms together as he began to sense where they were.

"…Found…Them…They are currently…at the…Bottom of a…self made...Depression…in the ground." Sasori gave a nod and used chakra strings to bring his two remaining puppets from the trees, the two weak Shinobi putting up no struggle.

"Very well; Chukichi, go and get backup. We probably won't need it, but just to be sure." The male nodded and turned, disappearing in a flash, leaving their squad at just three. The dust finally cleared, revealing an enormous perfectly square hole dug into the ground, similar to a giant trench.

"Let's go, un." Deidara's hand mouth spat up a clay owl and he instantly activated it, jumping onto his creation's back, "Come on Danna, hurry up."

Sasori glowered slightly in irritation at the blonde before he moved to the edge of the ravine, lying down on the ground so that his body from feet to armpits were on solid ground, "I'll stay up here." He pulled the two living puppets forward and into the trench, moving them skilfully downwards while watching the fight from high above.

One of the enemies leapt upwards, drawing a blade and swinging it, the red head quickly moving his living-puppets away from the attack, skidding them across the ground, "Danna, look out!"

Sasori turned his gaze upwards as a dark shadow came plummeting out of the sky, straight for him. Before it could strike, however, Shin leapt forward, taking the blow instead of the red head. The Root member and the stranger both fell over the edge and began to plummet down towards the ground. There was a loud bang as Shin took the force of the fall with the new enemy leaping off of him, and Sasori lost interest when he realised he had no idea who the person was. "Thanks for the save, Deidara," he spoke with bitter sarcasm and didn't bother to take his eyes from his living-puppets.

"Force of habit, un." Sasori didn't have to look to know that the blonde had given a shrug, and the red head just ignored it.

"Stop wasting my time and get down there already." He heard Deidara give a sigh and then the flutter of wings as the owl took off, flying down to the bottom of the ravine, coming to hover just behind the red head's puppets.

Sasori decided then to use his specially trained ears to listen in on the conversations below, "These two are still alive, you know, un? So what are you going to do next?" The red head heard the blonde give a slight chuckle, and then Sasori recognised the other person.

"YOU DISGUSTING BASTARDS!" It was Karura's puppeteer son, Kankuro. He was still alive. "I know you're somewhere close, Sasori! Stop being a coward and show yourself already!"

Sasori frowned slightly but other than that gave no reaction, continuing to listen quietly, "Oh, they have a puppet master with them as well, un? Irony at its best~"

"You're an Ambush Squad as well - I assume…" Kankuro gave a notable frown, "It's quite rare for commando units of both sides to meet like this during a war…"

Deidara gave a slight chuckle and the red head knew that he was smirking, "Well, then whoever wins here can say that they carried out a successful sneak attack. We're the first ones that they have sent; this victory will probably set the tone for this entire war, un!" He chuckled again and shook his head, "But it doesn't matter, because we won't lose…We can't lose…Because we…" Shin stood up from where he had plummeted, his snapped neck moving back into place, repaired instantly, "…WE ARE FUCKING _IMMORTAL_!"


	71. As White as Blood Reprise

As White as Blood

Chapter Seventy One

As White as Blood Reprise

Shin looked to the people, and the stranger who had fallen from the sky earlier stared at him in shock, "…Sai…Little brother, run! You see what they have done to our bodies? You can't possibly win! You stand no chance – run!"

"B-Brother?" Sai stared at Shin in absolute shock, and the red head realised Kabuto's motives for summoning some of the individuals that he did. Of course the bastard was sick and twisted enough to want to psychologically mess with his prey; he was just like his teacher.

"We don't have the time to be hesitant…" The enemy who had tried to slice up Sasori's puppets before was the one who spoke, "I will not let you force friends and family to harm one another! I will show you no mercy!" He put his blade forward dramatically, and Sasori frowned in light irritation.

Even now, the red head was the antagonist.

If he had had his freedom, Sasori would _not _be doing this…Or would he?

This was not the time to think. Sasori had fought in war times before - for both himself and for the village which he had grown to hate - but right now he was fighting for no one.

"SPARE US YOUR PRETTY LITTLE PUSSY SPEECHES!" Both the clay owl and Shin leapt forwards, "THIS IS WAR, UN! SCREW THE NICETIES!" Sasori lost interest in conversation at that point and waited for a time to strike. The male who had spoken before tried to get close to Deidara, and the red head immediately began to try and attack with his two living-puppets in an effort to protect the blonde – it was the instinctive thing to do. "NICE MOVES! BUT YOU CAN CUT ME ALL DAY LONG AND I WILL STILL COME OUT STANDING!"

The enemy leapt up, about to attack Deidara, but the red head moved his puppets to follow him into the air. He was surprised when the enemy revealed his true intent. Instead of hitting the blonde, his blade slashed behind himself, slicing right through Sasori's chakra strings.

The two Shinobi fell out of his control and were rescued by others, leaving the red head puppet-less…Still, the fact that the man had managed to cut his chakra threads was impressive, and Sasori found himself praising the sword work of his enemy. He was about to rid himself of the chakra threads, but before the red head had the chance, Kankuro had attached his own strings to the ends of Sasori's.

The red head's eyes widened in shock and he was suddenly pulled off of the cliff, beginning to free fall. Sasori noticed that as he dropped, one of the enemies also used an Earth technique to bring the ground back up to where it had been before. Deidara fell off of his owl as the clay creation was suddenly struck by the floor, and Sasori continued to fall way too fast.

Deidara gave a loud cry as the red head landed right on top of him, successfully winding the younger male, though the blonde still gave a groan, "Get off me, un!"

Sasori rolled his eyes as he did so, "Don't act like you're not used to it." He moved off of Deidara, giving a slight groan himself, but mostly due to embarrassment.

"Fucking bastard…" The blonde glared slightly at him before turning his attention back to the enemy.

"You connected your own threads to my own and then you dragged me down…" Sasori frowned slightly, though he was quite impressed, "Well…At least you have improved your thread skills…A bit…Kankuro."

The puppeteer gave Sasori a smirk and drew a scroll, "I'm honoured to be receiving such praise from the master of the Secret Red Technique…But I've surpassed you with my own Secret Black Technique."

Sasori gave the male a bored look, doubting what he said; if the red head had wanted him dead, he would have easily killed him back in the desert.

Kankuro unrolled the scroll and the red head was surprised to see that it read the kanji for both Sasori's name and for 'Scorpion'. There was a puff of smoke and the red head's old puppet body appeared – albeit lacking his heart container.

Sasori almost face palmed, and the first thought that came to mind was concern over the fact that all of Kankuro's puppets were the red head's old toys.

Couldn't the kid make his own weapons and stop stealing Sasori's rejects?

The older male decided not to bring the issue to light, continuing with his aloof appearance, "Oh, my old puppet body…It all suddenly seems so pointless. No longer do I care for _that_ thing. I now possess the body that I have always desired, one that will never rot or decay. I have finally become a puppet in ever sense of the word! It's what I have always wanted…"

That was a lie – he knew that there had been something that he had wanted before his desire to become Eternal. Sasori just couldn't remember it…

Kankuro looked at him silently and the red head attached chakra strings to Shin while Deidara leapt back up onto his bird. "Sai…Run…Away…" The Shinobi began to bark orders at one another, and Sasori wasn't surprised by the fact that they knew Shin was filled with explosive clay.

A few moments passed before Kankuro's toy and the red head's living-puppet both clashed, beginning a fast series of attacks. Sasori quickly pulled Shin away as another Shinobi made a move to stab him, and Deidara seemed to read Sasori's mind. The red head leapt onto the back of the bird for safety, "Katsu!"

Just before Shin could explode, the red head's old puppet Salamander burst out of the ground and captured the Root member inside of its body. It destroyed the puppet but successfully protected everyone from the explosion.

"Well shit…He hid a puppet underground and used the thing to smother the Bomb….Damn, he really dampened the blast, un…" Deidara sighed in disappointment and the red head rolled his eyes.

"That was Salamander; a defence puppet I made long ago." Sasori shrugged slightly and the blonde gave a non-caring exclamation in response.

"…'The Bomb'?" Shin's brother spoke with a dark tone, and he caught the attention of both Akatsuki members.

"What's that un? You gotta problem you wanna whine about? You wanna step up and face us? Don't make me laugh; you're just a weakling…YOU AREN'T EVEN GOOD ENOUGH TO REPLACE SASUKE UCHIHA! QUIT MOANING, BITCH!" Shin's body slowly reformed and Deidara snickered, "AS LONG AS OUR SOULS ARE BOUND TO THIS FUCKING WORLD, WE WILL JUST REGENERATE OVER AND OVER! I CAN TURN HIM INTO A BOMB AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN!" The blonde gave a loud, maniacal laugh, and Sasori almost hit him over the head just to make him shut up.

"I don't want to hurt you, brother…" Shin spoke with regret thick in his voice, "I was dead…I had already been liberated from Root forever."

"I heard a rumour about the Leaf's Root Division…" Sasori finally recalled the distant memory of Kisame talking to him about it, and he quoted the shark word for word. "I've heard that they live together from a young age - brought up like a family - and then when they are older Danzo pits them against one another in a fight to the death. A perfect Shinobi is one who does not hesitate, and if they are forced to kill those who have meaning to them…" He gave a rueful sigh, "Get rid of the heart – turn them into an empty husk – and all that remains is the Ultimate Shinobi. A nice loyal dog…You members of Root…You're just like me…"

Yes, Sunagakure had done all that they could to mould Sasori into the monster that he was to that day.

But they had failed to turn him into a loyal dog, and even Sasori had no idea as to where they had screwed up in that step.

The red head watched as the raven haired male picked up a scroll - while pulling out a brush - and opened a small ink pot stashed in the roll of paper. "What's that, un? You're drawing? So you think of yourself as an artist, do you? ART IS SOMETHING THAT EXPLODES! HERE! I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE!"

Once Sasori saw the dark expression on the male's face, he instantly knew that Deidara had taken things way too far. "JUST TRY IT!"

The red watched as the male drew quickly on the scroll, and suddenly his drawings came to life. Two giant ink outlined warriors emerged from the paper, and even the two Akatsuki members were completely stunned by it.

The black outlined creations lurched forward, punching both Sasori and Deidara, destroying the clay owl as well with the single blow. The two ex-lovers went shooting through the air, and Sasori gave a terrified sneer as he went crashing into the barrel body of a puppet that looked exactly like the Black Ant. For the first time in far too long, he was instinctively terrified by being inside the cramped space, knowing full well that once someone was inside, it would only ever lead to death.

"SHIT!" Deidara's voice was muffled, and Sasori knew that the blonde was also inside of a Black Ant look alike…Well, at least Kankuro _could_ make puppets…Even if they were still cheap knock offs of Sasori's own creations…That kid needed an imagination! "THAT'S IT, UN! I'M SUICIDE BOMBING THESE ASSHOLES! I SHOULD HAVE DETONATED MYSELF AGAIN LONG AGO! IT'S SO TASTELESS TO REVEAL ONE'S ULTIMATE MASTERPIECE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT I HAVE NO FUCKING CHOICE BUT TO USE IT AGAIN, UN!"

Sasori felt the awaited blades pierce the holes in the sides of the barrel, digging into his body, though he felt no pain or death…Oh yeah, he had forgotten about the numbness. Blood ran from his lips though he would not die; he was immortal.

He waited for the blonde's expected C0 attack, but it never came.

The red head heard Deidara curse loudly over something, and Sasori guessed that the younger male's technique had somehow been stopped, "Deidara?" He kept his voice quite hushed so that the enemy could not hear, but loud enough so that the blonde could; Sasori knew for a fact that the puppets they were currently inside were practically next to one another.

"They've fucking stabbed me with swords that have lightening charging through them…It's impossible to use my C0, un…" He heard the blonde give a growl, "These fucking puppets seem to have your macabre touch added to them…I take it that they're your design…Fucking bastard, un."

"Aren't all of the puppets that this kid owns of my design? Besides, it isn't my fault that we are in this situation, Brat," Sasori gave a weak sneer, "you just love to push people too far, don't you?" The red head heard the blonde scoff and he was about to continue, but was surprised to find his chakra strings on Shin go limp, "…What's happening…Out there…?" He tried to move the strings but the threads gave no response.

"Sasori!" The voice clearly belonged to Kankuro, and the red head decided to listen in to what he said, "You once had great strength! But this strength came from your soul, not in spite of it! I know you; you tried to erase it by becoming a puppet, but you could never fully succeed! I know this because you put your heart and soul into every single puppet that you have created! That is the part of them that never rots or decays; that is the part that makes them eternal! In this puppet body that I now control, I can feel it! And now, even though you have your human flesh back…You have fallen…You are just a doll…YOU HAVE SUNK TO THE LEVEL OF THE PUPPETS THAT YOU USED TO CONTROL!" Sasori closed his eyes while giving a silent frown, knowing that the words which his ex-best friend's son spoke were sadly true. "You're supposed to be an S-Class Puppet Master…Not a worthless nobody who allows someone else to pull his strings! You might be a monster, but you're better than _that_!"

The red head opened his eyes, still giving the regretful expression, "…" It was true; Sasori had finally reached the top and just as some wise naïve child had prophesied, he had fallen…He had fallen hard…

"When the puppeteer is the one who is being controlled, that's it for him, Sasori! My own spirit as a puppeteer is stronger than yours; I can beat whatever attack you throw at me! BY CONTROLLING YOUR PUPPET BODY, I AM CONTROLLING THE _**REAL**_ YOU! I AM CONTROLLING THE INFAMOUS SASORI OF THE RED SAND! A monster, an Akatsuki member, a mere puppet!"

The red head frowned in sadness as he realised that he had actually been wrong the entire time…

Sasori had never once been at the top.

The puppet master had always been controlled by someone else. Sunagakure, Chiyo, Karura, Orochimaru, Akatsuki…Deidara…And now Kabuto…He had always thought that he had been the one controlling others, but Sasori had been wrong. Like a puppet, he had been used every single day of his life.

He had gone through his life with his hands bound by unbreakable strings.

Sasori wasn't a Puppet Master; he was simply a puppet.

"It is your techniques and your creations that will remain eternal…Through every performance by their inheritors and through the soul that you put into them! As long as there are younger generations to inherit them, you will never die!"

Sasori was silent for a few moments, before he gave a smirking smile and an ever so slight chuckle. His actions may have been those of a puppet, but he was still Sasori Yoshiko. The world knew of him as Sasori of the Red Sand, but that wasn't the entire truth. It didn't matter anymore. "Maybe…Maybe that is how I've always wanted my art to be…Perhaps that was what I have been seeking…"

He just wanted to be remembered…

"OH YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Sasori's smirk fell as he abruptly remembered that Deidara was still there, "COME ON, DANNA; DON'T BELIEVE ANY OF THEIR SILVER-TONGUE BULLSHIT, UN! TRUE ART IS AN EXPLOSION! TRUE ART IS TRANSIENT BEAUTY! TRUE ART IS FLEETING!"

The red head knew the words which Deidara wanted to say but refused to utter; 'Don't leave me again'.

Sasori would not be controlled any longer. He would not be tempted and he would not be persuaded. He would do what_ he_ wanted…

…And he wanted to go…

The red head's body began to crumble as his soul began to shed itself of the bindings which it bore.

Ones soul really did live forever in their creations…Deidara would always hold a bit of Sasori's soul inside of him. "…Kankuro…I want you to have my Mother and Father puppets too…And then when you die, pass them both on to the next generation…Please…Let them live forever, as I could not…"

Kankuro chuckled lightly and Sasori's body continued to crumble into simple ash, "It's a deal."

-o-

And that, dear readers, is my third and final death…

It's like what Deidara had once told me about himself.

Dying is an Art, and like all things, I did is exceptionally well.

-o-

"NO!" Deidara's words were the last that Sasori ever heard, "SASORI~! MASTER~! DANNA~!"

It didn't matter what name the blonde promised to call him, he would not remain; in order to live forever, one had to die first…

-x-

The voice disappeared and was replaced instead by crying; Sasori's crying. He was curled up in a ball and he was currently weeping against his knees. His outlines were no longer as red as blood, but were now as white as snow.

The ex-Akatsuki member finally knew the truth as to why the boy cried; he cried alone and he cried for his loneliness.

Sasori slowly quietened his wails and shakily drew his face from his knees, looking up at the darkness which surrounded him. The shadows watched the young boy, but he was not frightened by them.

The white outlined boy slowly moved his limbs until he was no longer clutched in an insecure ball, sitting in the darkness, no longer crying. Sasori Yoshiko's gaze turned to his outlined hands which were currently cupped tightly together, and he slowly unclenched them to reveal what was hidden inside.

A firefly.

The white light emerged from his open hands, taking flight after all these gruesome years.

Sasori watched as the firefly began to light the darkness which surrounded him, the dank disappearing within an instant…

There was grass, there were forests, there were deserts, there were beaches and there were oceans. It was just like the Illusion World that he had often visited, except with one crucial difference…

This time it was real.

Sasori no longer sat in the darkness, but a field of blooming red and white flowers; they smelt so beautiful. And that was when he saw them; the shadows that were no longer shadows.

They were people, they were enemies, and they were friends.

All of them were there; Karura, Daichi, Chiyo, Misaki Sensei, Asuko, Hiruko, Sky, Yashamaru, Pakura, Jishaku, Takeo, Orochimaru, Kurow, Kabuto, Nagato, Konan, Kisame, Itachi, Zetsu, Hidan, Kakuzu, his Mummy, his Daddy, and so many more.

Everyone whom Sasori had befriended and everyone he had betrayed.

The red head had wronged so many people in his life, and in that moment, he knew that he had been forgiven.

He knew that his burden was gone.

The white outlined figure of young Sasori slowly stood up, and as he did so he changed. The boy grew as he stood, and as he aged his outlines gradually altered from being snow white to being blood red once more.

It didn't bother Sasori at all; his soul was as white as blood anyway. The thought was both humorous and sarcastic. Sasori was a monster and a murderer, but that was who he was.

The outlines disappeared completely as his colour and flesh also returned to him until he looked just like his thirty five year old self with a warm smile curving his lips. They called to him, the people, and he was about to go to them, but he was suddenly stopped.

He heard unknown crying coming from behind him and Sasori turned to look, his smile falling.

Just behind him was the last bit of darkness – the last imperfection - in the red head's perfect world. A small boy was curled up on the ground in a kneeling position, face pressed against the ground. He wore light blue outlines, and he was the one blemish within the world.

Sasori knew exactly who it was instantly…

Deidara.

The boy continued to cry and the red head frowned ever so slightly, looking back and forth between the Brat and the rest of the people who awaited his presence. His warm smile returned as he finally realised that he didn't have to choose just one.

Sasori offered his hand to the boy, and ever so slowly his crying grew quiet, the azure outlined figure gradually looking up at him.

Deidara blinked at the tall red head for a few moments before he slowly brought his hand up to meet Sasori's. Blue outlines met with warm skin, and Sasori pulled the child to stand up as well. The splodge of darkness vanished to reveal a small ring of pink flowers at the boy's feet, and as he stood he grew just as Sasori had, though his outlines remained the same. Soon a nineteen year old outlined Deidara stood before the red head, and a few moments later his colour and flesh also returned until he looked exactly the same as on the day the blonde had died as a result of his own explosion.

The older male pulled his love against him, feeling the warm skin pressing against his own body, and Sasori gave him a chaste kiss on his delicate lips. They pulled away, and the red head ran a hand tenderly through the blonde's silken hair, his soft smile returning as he mouthed out three words that now seemed so simple…

Deidara stared at him in shock, before giving a slow joyful smile and a nod, tightening his grip of Sasori's hand concurrently. The red head turned and began to lead the blonde forward to the mass of people who eagerly stood waiting for their old friend to finally join them in death.

Fresh wet tears were currently gracing Sasori's cheeks, and his smile grew ever wider.

For once they were tears born from the emotion of utter bliss.

'_Yet all is well; he has but passed  
>To Life's appointed bourne:<br>And alien tears will fill for him  
>Pity's long-broken urn,<br>For his mourners be outcast men,  
>And outcasts always mourn.<em>

…

_For they starve the little frightened child  
>Till it weeps both night and day:<br>And they scourge the weak, and flog the fool,  
>And gibe the old and gray,<br>And some grow mad, and all grow bad,  
>And none a word may say.<em>

…

_The man in red who reads the Law  
>Gave him three weeks of life,<br>Three little weeks in which to heal  
>His <em>_soul__ of his soul's strife,  
>And cleanse from every blot of blood<br>The hand that held the knife._

_And with tears of blood he cleansed the hand,  
>The hand that held the steel:<br>For only blood can wipe out blood,  
>And only tears can heal:<br>And the crimson stain that was of Cain  
>Became Christ's snow-white seal.<br>_

_In Reading gaol by Reading town  
>There is a pit of shame,<br>And in it lies a wretched man  
>Eaten by teeth of flame,<br>In a burning winding-sheet he lies,  
>And his grave has got no name.<em>

_And there, till Christ call forth the dead,  
>In silence let him lie:<br>No need to waste the foolish tear,  
>Or heave the windy sigh:<br>The man had killed the thing he loved,  
>And so he had to die.'<em>

Sasori had at last found the thing that he had been searching for.

It had been the one thing that he had always wanted, and it had been the one thing that he had always had.

It was not freedom, and it was not love.

Only in death had he realised what it was; but by then it was gone…

He had been searching for his story.

He had been searching for his _life_.

The End


End file.
